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Synonyms

scruffy

American  
[skruhf-ee] / ˈskrʌf i /

adjective

scruffier, scruffiest

  1. untidy; shabby.

scruffy British  
/ ˈskrʌfɪ /

adjective

  1. unkempt or shabby

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of scruffy

First recorded in 1650–60; scruff 2 + -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The first goal Salah scored was a scruffy, bundled effort from on the goalline in a 3-3 draw at Watford on the opening day of his first season.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

While core elements like electricity and running water are functioning, lifts and toilets remain covered in plastic wraps and are scruffy in appearance.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Joseph’s look contrasts with the somewhat scruffy beard and receding hairline of the donor kneeling at the right.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

They voted for a scruffy guy in a leather jacket promising pain now, gain later.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

Bruce was a large man with a bald head that shone in the dull light, his face pale and scruffy with a few days’ worth of beard.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.