shoddy

American  

[shod-ee] / ˈʃɒd i /

adjective

shoddier, shoddiest

1. of poor quality or inferior workmanship.

   a shoddy bookcase.

2. intentionally rude or inconsiderate; shabby.

   shoddy behavior.

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noun

plural

shoddies

1. a fibrous material obtained by shredding unfelted rags or waste.

2. anything inferior, especially a handmade item or manufactured product.

shoddy British  

/ ˈʃɒdɪ /

adjective

1. imitating something of better quality

2. of poor quality; trashy

3. made of shoddy material

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noun

1. a yarn or fabric made from wool waste or clippings

2. anything of inferior quality that is designed to simulate superior quality

Other Word Forms

• half-shoddy adjective
• shoddily adverb
• shoddiness noun

Etymology

Origin of shoddy

First recorded in 1825–35; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

It has been alleged that RT Diagnostics, which made £6.67m in three weeks, was set up in "shoddy and inadequate premises" in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and gave out false negative results to customers.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

As "AI slop" floods the internet, efforts are mounting to stem an online deluge of shoddy images and videos made using increasingly advanced tech tools.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Anyone who has worked for a wage has shared space with someone whose work was so shoddy that it made you angry to receive the same salary at week’s end.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

Cobb didn’t find much to read about menopause, beyond shoddy research and medical tracts which trivialized or pathologized what she knew to be a natural phase of life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

I can see her at the funeral, a shoddy, low-cost affair held in the basement of some dubious funeral parlor.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• inferior
• run down
• shabby
• shameful