slovenly

/'slʌvnli/

Thân thiện

A man with slovenly clothes sits on a park bench.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Negligent of neatness, especially in dress and appearance; habitually dirty, untidy, or unkempt. This describes a person, their appearance, or their habits that show a consistent lack of care for cleanliness and order.
   • Marked by a careless, slipshod, or untidy manner. This can extend to describe work, surroundings, or actions performed in a careless and messy way.

Usage and Examples

• Describing a person's appearance:

  • He was criticized for his slovenly appearance at the important meeting.
  • The slovenly man rarely bothered to comb his hair or iron his clothes.

• Describing a place or state of things:

  • She was ashamed of the slovenly condition of her apartment.
  • The report was rejected due to its slovenly formatting and numerous typos.

• Describing habits or manner:

  • His slovenly work habits resulted in frequent errors.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Slovenly" vs. "Messy": While "messy" is a more general term for disorder, "slovenly" implies a habitual, ingrained negligence and often carries a stronger judgment of laziness or moral failing.
• As an adverb ("slovenly"): Though primarily an adjective, it can be used adverbially in a less formal register.
  • He dressed slovenly for the occasion.

Variants and Related Words

• Sloven (noun, somewhat archaic): A person who is habitually untidy or careless.
  • He was a bit of a sloven, with papers strewn all over his desk.
• Slovenliness (noun): The quality or state of being slovenly.
  • The slovenliness of the workspace was a safety hazard.

Synonyms

• Untidy
• Unkempt
• Sloppy
• Frowzy (also frowsy)
• Disheveled
• Slipshod (especially for work)

Antonyms

• Neat
• Tidy
• Kempt
• Spruce
• Fastidious

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "Slovenly habits": A common collocation emphasizing ingrained negligent behavior.
  • It's difficult to break slovenly habits formed in youth.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. negligent of neatness especially in dress and person; habitually dirty and unkempt
   • filled the door with her frowzy bulk
   • frowzy white hair
   • slovenly appearance

Từ đồng nghĩa

• frowsy
• frowzy