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

“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

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

Her sloppy showdown with Grace is the action highlight.

From Los Angeles Times

When we reached the end of our sloppy, extemporaneous dance I started to perform a ridiculous curtsy that felt appropriate to the pantomime we’d been doing, but Luc held out his hand again.

From Literature

There’s an assumption that some of the money was allocated in a sloppy way as lenders rushed to put capital to work.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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