# shabby

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈʃæbi/ · frequency rank #20,222

## Definitions
1. Of clothing, a place, etc.: unkempt and worn or otherwise in poor condition due to age or neglect; scruffy.
2. Of a person: wearing ragged or very worn, and often dirty, clothing.
3. Of a person, their behaviour, etc.: despicable, mean; also, not generous; stingy, tight-fisted.
4. Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
5. Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
6. Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
7. Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.

## 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”)

## Easily confused with
- **shay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-shay)
- **shady** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-shady)
- **shaky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-shaky)
- **Shelby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-shelby)
- **shaggy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-shaggy)
- **shanty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-shanty)
- **stubby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabby-vs-stubby)
- **Shabbat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shabbat-vs-shabby)

## Common misspellings (8)
`hsabby`, `sahbby`, `shabbyy`, `shaby`, `shabyb`, `shbaby`, `shhabby`, `sshabby`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shabby