scrubby

[ skruhb-ee ]
See synonyms for scrubby on Thesaurus.com
adjective,scrub·bi·er, scrub·bi·est.
  1. low or stunted, as trees.

  2. consisting of or covered with scrub, stunted trees, etc.

  1. undersized or inferior, as animals.

  2. wretched; shabby.

Origin of scrubby

1
First recorded in 1745–55; scrub2 + -y1

Other words from scrubby

  • scrub·bi·ly, adverb
  • scrub·bi·ness, noun

Words Nearby scrubby

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scrubby in a sentence

  • The popping of dry, scrubby timber warned us that our position would soon be untenable.

    Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • Kangaroos and other animals were seldom or never found there: they abounded usually in the more scrubby country.

  • A scrubby looking white mare who was being shod turned her head and stared at Ebenezer and his small companion.

    The Tale of Pony Twinkleheels | Arthur Scott Bailey
  • Just here the road crossed a ravine full of boulders and rough scrubby growth, whereas beyond it was bare and open.

    Fair Margaret | H. Rider Haggard

British Dictionary definitions for scrubby

scrubby

/ (ˈskrʌbɪ) /


adjective-bier or -biest
  1. covered with or consisting of scrub

  2. (of trees or vegetation) stunted in growth

  1. British informal messy

Derived forms of scrubby

  • scrubbiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012