sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈslä-pē 

sloppier; sloppiest

1

a

: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy

a sloppy racetrack

b

: wet or smeared with or as if with something slopped over

2

: slovenly, careless

a sloppy dresser

did sloppy work

3

: disagreeably effusive

sloppy sentimentalism

sloppily

ˈslä-pə-lē 

adverb

sloppiness noun

Synonyms of sloppy

• messy
• slovenly
• wrinkled
• shaggy
• untidy
• unkempt
• filthy
• dowdy
• chaotic

Examples of sloppy in a Sentence

Your work has been very sloppy lately.

a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes

Recent Examples on the Web

But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series. —ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026

The Wolves started out sloppy with nine first-quarter turnovers and finished with 25. —CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

The mock neck elevates the entire look, making the sweatshirt look smart rather than sloppy, unlike an average hoodie. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026

The watery consommé subsumed what few masa dumplings swam their lonesome swirls in the bowl, with cobs of corn left like derelict buoys in the sloppy orange miasma. —Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sloppy

• sloppy joe

Rhymes for sloppy

• choppy
• copy
• floppy
• poppy
• atopy
• photocopy

Kids Definition

sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈsläp-ē 

sloppier; sloppiest

1

a

: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy

b

: wet with or as if with something slopped over

2

: slovenly, careless

a sloppy dresser

3

: overly sentimental

sloppily

ˈsläp-ə-lē 

adverb

sloppiness

ˈsläp-ē-nəs

noun