shoddy
Americanadjective
-
of poor quality or inferior workmanship.
a shoddy bookcase.
-
intentionally rude or inconsiderate; shabby.
shoddy behavior.
noun
-
a fibrous material obtained by shredding unfelted rags or waste.
-
anything inferior, especially a handmade item or manufactured product.
adjective
-
imitating something of better quality
-
of poor quality; trashy
-
made of shoddy material
noun
-
a yarn or fabric made from wool waste or clippings
-
anything of inferior quality that is designed to simulate superior quality
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of shoddy
First recorded in 1825–35; origin uncertain
Explanation
Shoddy refers to poor materials or quality. Maybe you passed on buying a house because it leaned in an odd way and various and sundry parts were falling off. Sounds like both the materials and workmanship were shoddy. Shoddy originally referred to something that looked high-quality but wasn’t. Later, a certain type of cloth made with leftover pieces and rags was called a shoddy. While shoddy often refers to materials or workmanship, questionable ethics can also be referred to as shoddy, as in the shoddy principles of a slumlord or the shoddy morals of someone who steals from their friends.
Vocabulary lists containing shoddy
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Pygmalion
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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.
But maybe this shoddy display isn’t really as reflective of the country as we might think.
From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026
Some residents said the walls in their buildings were already cracking before the quakes and rebar was exposed in some columns, signs of what they called shoddy construction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
The Angels’ shoddy defense exacerbated the scoring spree.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
But they angered him by withholding a final payment, instructing him to first complete his shoddy work to a higher standard.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
The farm flourished, and the widow Richardson gained a reputation as a hard bargainer, but one whose crop was always good, and who never sold shoddy for better merchandise.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
