shoddy
/ˈʃɒdi
/adjective (shoddier, shoddiest)
1Badly made or done: we’re not paying good money for shoddy goods...
- Describing me, he refers to my shoddy suit and badly scuffed shoes.
- Even then, homeowners often complain of shoddy workmanship.
- We can't say much about your shoddy workmanship, your poor literacy skills or your goldfish-like imagination.
Synonyms
poor-quality, inferior, second-rate, third-rate, low-grade, cheap, cheapjack, tawdry, rubbishy, trashy, gimcrack, jerry-built, crude, tinny
informal tacky, tatty, junky
British informal ropy, duff, rubbish, grotty
careless, slapdash, sloppy, slipshod, scrappy, untidy, messy, hasty, hurried, negligent, cursory
1.1Lacking moral principle; sordid: a shoddy misuse of the honours system...
- That, given sufficient publicity some kind of audience will appeal for almost any event, no matter how shoddy or potentially immoral.
- Historically, it has a shoddy pedigree of corruption and death.
- David thinks it's time to tear up the PC rule book and pull black men up on their shoddy behaviour.
noun [mass noun]
An inferior quality yarn or fabric made from the shredded fibre of waste woollen cloth or clippings: the production of shoddy and mattress stuffing...
- There are cotton shoddy mats and foams and absorbers.
- Replacing cotton shoddy with this new fiber may help auto makers avoid the issue.
Derivatives
shoddily
/ adverb ...- Drab high-rise, shoddily constructed buildings in poorly designed developments have shot up everywhere.
- The teachers at the school feel they have been treated shoddily and are concerned about finding future employment in the city.
- And why should the human reproductive system be so shoddily designed?
shoddiness
/ noun ...- That undermines the value of the work, not for dishonesty, but shoddiness.
- What makes her work worthy of coverage when work of equivalent shoddiness and offensiveness is regarded as absolutely off-limits?
- Even in those cases where the Police may not be involved, the shoddiness and incompetence demonstrated makes it difficult to retain any respect for the Police.
Origin
Mid 19th century: of unknown origin.