slovenly
slovenly Lexical Profile
slovenly Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Messy, dirty, and untidy, especially in personal appearance, dress, or living habits.
"His slovenly appearance and wrinkled suit made a poor impression during the job interview."
Careless, negligent, or excessively casual in work, speech, or method.
"The editor rejected the manuscript due to its slovenly research and frequent grammatical errors."
• adverb
In an untidy, careless, or slipshod manner.
"The garments were slovenly stitched together and began to unravel after a single wash."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-ly', 'slovenly' is primarily used as an adjective rather than an adverb; in formal writing, adverbial meanings are typically expressed with the phrase 'in a slovenly manner'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 16th century from the noun 'sloven' (an untidy or careless person), which likely entered Middle English from Middle Dutch 'sloef' (dirty or unkempt) or Middle Low German 'sluf' (slipshod).