shabby

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   mean and unworthy and despicable

   shabby treatment

2. 2
   adj

   Of clothing, a place, etc.: unkempt and worn or otherwise in poor condition due to age or neglect; scruffy.

   They lived in a tiny apartment, with some old, shabby furniture.

3. 3
   adj

   Of a person: wearing ragged or very worn, and often dirty, clothing.

   The fellow arrived looking rather shabby after journeying so far.

4. 4
   adj

   Of a person, their behaviour, etc.: despicable, mean; also, not generous; stingy, tight-fisted.

   shabby treatment

5. 5
   adj

   Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.

   His painting is not too shabby.

6. 6
   verb

   To become shabby; to shabbify.

   You'll be one of those tough, square, solid middle-aged men, like a shabbying brown bear, your golden crew-cut greying judiciously at the temples.

7. 7
   adj

   showing signs of wear and tear

8. 8
   verb

   To make (something) shabby (adjective sense 1); to shabbify.

Etymology

The adjective is derived from shab (“(obsolete except UK, dialectal) scaly skin disease; skin disease of sheep; crust forming over wound, scab”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives). The verb is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Dutch schabbig (“poor, needy, shabby”) * Middle High German schebic (modern German schäbig (“shabby”)) * Middle Low German schabbich (“miserable”) (modern Low German schabbig, schäbbig) * Scots shabby (“in poor health, ill”) * Swedish sjabbig (“shabby, mangy, scruffy”), skabbig (“scabby”)