Shabby

Pronunciation: /ˈʃæbi/

Definitions of shabby

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'shabby' describes something of poor quality or appearance.

Example Sentences

A1 The old house had shabby furniture.

A2 She wore a shabby dress to the party.

B1 The hotel room was shabby and in need of renovation.

B2 Despite its shabby appearance, the bookstore had a great selection of books.

C1 The once grand mansion had become shabby and run-down over the years.

C2 The shabby treatment of employees by the company led to a strike.

Examples of shabby in a Sentence

formal The old house had a shabby appearance due to years of neglect.

informal I can't believe you're wearing those shabby jeans to the party.

slang That car is looking real shabby, dude.

figurative His argument fell apart when faced with shabby evidence.

Grammatical Forms of shabby

• past tense: shabbied
• plural: shabbies
• comparative: shabbier
• superlative: shabbiest
• present tense: shabbies
• future tense: will shabby
• perfect tense: have shabbied
• continuous tense: is shabby
• singular: shabby
• positive degree: shabby
• infinitive: to shabby
• gerund: shabbying
• participle: shabbied

Origin and Evolution of shabby

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'shabby' is believed to have originated from the Middle English word 'schabbe' which means 'worn out clothes'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'shabby' has evolved to not only describe worn-out clothing but also to refer to anything that is in poor condition or of low quality.