sloppy

American  

[slop-ee] / ˈslɒp i /

adjective

sloppier, sloppiest

1. muddy, slushy, or very wet.

   The field was a sloppy mess after the rain.

2. splashed or soiled with liquid.

   Synonyms:

   messy

3. careless; loose.

   sloppy writing.

   Synonyms:

   slipshod

4. untidy; slovenly.

   sloppy clothes; a sloppy eater.

   Synonyms:

   slatternly, messy

5. overly emotional; gushy.

   sloppy sentimentality.

6. (of food or drink) prepared or served in an unappetizing way.

7. (of clothes) loose-fitting; baggy.

   a big, sloppy sweater.

8. (of the surface of a racetrack) wet from a recent or continuing heavy rain and containing puddles and mud still too thin and watery to be sticky.

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sloppy British  

/ ˈslɒpɪ /

adjective

1. (esp of ground conditions, etc) wet; slushy

2. informal careless; untidy

3. informal mawkishly sentimental

4. (of food or drink) watery and unappetizing

5. splashed with slops

6. (of clothes) loose; baggy

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Other Word Forms

• sloppily adverb
• sloppiness noun

Etymology

Origin of sloppy

First recorded in 1700–10; slop ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

Sloppy means "untidy" or "messy." If your bedroom has clothes all over the floor, it's sloppy. And, if you end up with food all over your shirt every time you eat something, you're sloppy. Besides "out of order" or "not clean," sloppy can also mean "careless" or "overemotional." So you might do a sloppy job on an important paper for school. Or you might go to a sad movie and cry while you watch it, even though you know it's sloppy and sentimental. The original 18th century meaning of this adjective was simply "muddy." And before it meant "ground beef sandwich on a bun," a sloppy joe was a "loose, messy sweater."

Example Sentences

“There was a point where you could be kind of sloppy with your typing and it would generally get it,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Victims’ lawyers have criticized sloppy and inconsistent redactions in the released files, and some federal lawmakers have openly questioned whether all pertinent evidence has been disclosed.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, while impressive, appeared to be a sloppy affair comparable to an All-Star game full of dunks and threes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

But I guess that’s just the kind of sloppy and dishonest lawyering that’s led to some of these ethics complaints in the first place.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

He takes on all the parental tasks for himself that Gina’s a little sloppy about.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• awkward
• careless
• clumsy
• dirty
• mediocre
• muddy
• poor
• wet