scabby

/ˈskæb.i/

//ˈskæb.i// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"scabby" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scabby” is uncommon English (frequency #93,119 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#93,119
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Affected with scabs; full of scabs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scabby · scabby · English

scabby · rank #93,119 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #93,119
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Scalzi

Nearest frequency peer: Scalzi (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “scabby”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “scabby” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for scabby
PropertyValue
Headwordscabby
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈskæb.i/
Letters6
Frequency rank#93,119
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “scabby” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).scabbyfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Scalzi” (#93,120), “Scheldt” (#93,121), “Scheuer” (#93,122). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scabby” is #93,119. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scabby is uncommon English at frequency #93,119 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈskæb.i/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for scabby in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English scabby, scabbie, equivalent to scab + -y. Doublet of shabby. The correct English form is scabby, spelled S-C-A-B-B-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Affected with scabs; full of scabs.
  2. 2
    Diseased with the scab (mange): mangy.
  3. 3
    Having a blotched, uneven appearance.
  4. 4
    Injured by the attachment of barnacles to the carapace of a shell.
  5. 5
    Working against union policies, working to bust unions; in particular, being a scab (worker who crosses a union picket line).
  6. 6
    stingy; scrounging.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how scabby appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Her wrizled skin, as rough as maple rind, So scabby was, that would have loath'd all womankind.
  2. The police, the governor, and the "scabby" Hearst Examiner "received a tremendous razzing," according to the Waterfront Worker, while all along the line of march "the workers on the sidelines cheered[…]"

Etymology

From Middle English scabby, scabbie, equivalent to scab + -y. Doublet of shabby.

Synonyms

reefscabrousroynishscabbyscabratescabridscaldscalledscurvy

Antonyms

smooth

This word in other languages

croûteux(Français)sarnento(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scabby"?
"scabby" is spelled S-C-A-B-B-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskæb.i/.
What does "scabby" mean?
As an adjective, "scabby" means: Affected with scabs; full of scabs.
How do you pronounce "scabby"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scabby" is /ˈskæb.i/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "scabby"?
From Middle English scabby, scabbie, equivalent to scab + -y. Doublet of shabby. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "scabby", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Scalzi#93,120Saburo#93,108Rubino#93,100shaked#93,138

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list