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shabby - 4 dictionary results

shab⋅by

[shab-ee]
–adjective, -bi⋅er, -bi⋅est.
1. impaired by wear, use, etc.; worn: shabby clothes.
2. showing conspicuous signs of wear or neglect: The rooms on the upper floors of the mansion had a rather shabby appearance, as if they had not been much in use of late.
3. wearing worn clothes or having a slovenly or unkempt appearance: a shabby person.
4. run-down, seedy, or dilapidated: a shabby hotel.
5. meanly ungenerous or unfair; contemptible, as persons, actions, etc.: shabby behavior.
6. inferior; not up to par in quality, performance, etc.: a shabby rendition of the sonata.

Origin:
1660–70; shab (ME; OE sceabb scab ) + -y 1 ; c. G schäbig


shab⋅bi⋅ly, adverb
shab⋅bi⋅ness, noun
shab·by   (shāb'ē)   
adj.   shab·bi·er, shab·bi·est
    1. Showing signs of wear and tear; threadbare or worn-out: shabby furniture.
    2. Dilapidated or deteriorated in condition, especially through neglect; seedy: a shabby little park.
    3. Despicable; mean: a shabby trick.
    4. Not generous or just; unfair: shabby treatment.
    5. Of mediocre or substandard quality: a shabby performance.
  1. Wearing threadbare clothing.
    1. Despicable; mean: a shabby trick.
    2. Not generous or just; unfair: shabby treatment.
    3. Of mediocre or substandard quality: a shabby performance.

[From obsolete shab, scab, from Middle English schab, from Old English sceabb.]
shab'bi·ly adv., shab'bi·ness n.

Shabby

Shab"by\, a. [Compar. Shabbier; superl. Shabbiest.] [See Shab, n., Scabby, and Scab.]

1. Torn or worn to rage; poor; mean; ragged.

Wearing shabby coats and dirty shirts. --Macaulay.

2. Clothed with ragged, much worn, or soiled garments. "The dean was so shabby." --Swift.

3. Mean; paltry; despicable; as, shabby treatment. "Very shabby fellows." --Clarendon.
Language Translation for : shabby
Spanish: gastado, raído, desarrapado,
German: schäbig,
Japanese: みすぼらしい

shabby 
1669, from shab "scab" (now only dial., in ref. to a disease of sheep), from O.E. sceabb (see scab), with sound change as described in sh-. Cf. M.Du. schabbich, Ger. schäbig "shabby." Shabby-genteel "run-down but trying to keep up appearances" first recorded 1754.
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