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

Example Sentences

They are there without ever really convincing - here they were sloppy in the field when restricting Pakistan to 164-9 - but are the first team to secure their spot in the last four.

From BBC

Arsenal's lead lasted just two minutes as they conceded an equally sloppy goal.

From Barron's

The U.S. was sloppy with the puck and struggled to keep possession in the offensive zone.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Jackson’s media prominence grew — including a cover photo on Time magazine in 1970 — tensions erupted between Jackson and SCLC, in part because of the sloppy bookkeeping that became a Jackson characteristic.

From Los Angeles Times

Unfortunately, sloppy handling of details is one of two chief weaknesses besetting “The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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