slob

American  

[slob] / slɒb /

noun

1. a slovenly or boorish person.

2. Irish English. mud or ooze, especially a stretch of mud along a shore.

3. Chiefly Canadian. sludge.

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slob British  

/ slɒb /

noun

1. informal a slovenly, unattractive, and lazy person

2. mire

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Other Word Forms

• slobbish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of slob

1770–80; < Irish slab ( a ) mud, mire

Explanation

A slob is someone who's messy or lazy. Tuck your shirt in and wash the dishes, you slob! You may think of your sister as a slob if she never cleans up after herself, leaving crumbs all over the house and clothes all over her room. It's a derogatory term, though, so think twice before you call her a slob out loud. An earlier meaning of the word was "muddy land," from the Irish slab, or "mud." The 1860s expression "slob of a man" led to the current definition of slob.

Example Sentences

"This is good news for students and it's important for their development and their mental well-being that they can go to school," Education Minister Arie Slob said at a press conference.

From Reuters • Jan. 3, 2022

“It’s a tough decision to make”, the education minister, Arie Slob, told reporters before a government meeting to decide on the measure.

From The Guardian • Dec. 14, 2021

"It's a tough decision to make", Education Minister Arie Slob told reporters before a government meeting to decide on the measure.

From Reuters • Dec. 14, 2021

Q. Slob: My fiancé has started to telecommute full time and it is affecting our relationship.

From Slate • Oct. 28, 2019

Going up the hill towards "Slob," they met a man named "Martin King," chief of the "fleet," as they called this meeting.

From The Journal of Negro History, Volume 2, 1917 by Various

Related Words

• lout