slovenly
Americanadjective
-
untidy or unclean in appearance or habits.
- Synonyms:
- slatternly, slutty
- Antonyms:
- neat
-
characteristic of a sloven; slipshod.
slovenly work.
- Synonyms:
- disorderly, loose, careless
- Antonyms:
- careful
adverb
adjective
-
frequently or habitually unclean or untidy
-
negligent and careless; slipshod
slovenly manners
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slovenly
Explanation
Slovenly is what your great aunt Mehitabel might call you if you came to high tea without a necktie. It means "messy or unkempt," but is a word you probably won't hear messy or unkempt people using. Slovenly has meant messy or unkempt since the 1500s, but it had a brief heyday before that of meaning "low or base." This class association remains embedded in the word — someone who uses the word slovenly today is most likely also going to raise his or her pinky while drinking from a cup of tea.
Vocabulary lists containing slovenly
Grade 10, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Call of the Wild
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Plus, as sleepwear styles become more fashionable, it’s hard to think of them as strictly for the slovenly set.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026
In that instance, the public were given the chance to choose the overall winner, opting for the term describing "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy" behaviour.
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
He was a favorite punching bag of the mainstream media, a slovenly suburban Ahab doomed to fail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2025
He played a sports talk radio host in Go On; a sports arena manager in Mr Sunshine; and a slovenly flatmate in The Odd Couple.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2023
When driven with his mates to the new owners’ camp, Buck saw a slipshod and slovenly affair, tent half stretched, dishes unwashed, everything in disorder; also, he saw a woman.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
The slovenliest manuscripts come from persons to whom the difference between an hour and a minute is of the very smallest importance.
From Studies in Literature by Morley, John
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.
