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slop·py

(slŏpē)

adj. slop·pi·er, slop·pi·est

1. Marked by or given to a lack of neatness or order; untidy: a sloppy room; a sloppy roommate.

2. Showing or in the habit of using little care or attention: sloppy use of language; a sloppy researcher.

3. Informal Oversentimental; gushy: a sloppy love letter.

4. Of, resembling, or covered with slop; muddy or slushy: sloppy ground.

5. Watery and unappetizing: a sloppy stew.

6. Spotted or splashed with liquid.

sloppi·ly adv.

sloppi·ness n.

Synonyms: sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, slipshod
These adjectives mean marked by an absence of due or proper care or attention. Sloppy evokes the idea of careless spilling, spotting, or splashing; it suggests slackness, untidiness, or diffuseness: a sloppy kitchen; sloppy dress. "I do not see how the sloppiest reasoner can evade that" (H.G. Wells).
Slovenly implies habitual negligence and a lack of system or thoroughness: a slovenly appearance; slovenly inaccuracies. Unkempt stresses dishevelment resulting from a neglectful lack of proper maintenance: "an unwashed brow, an unkempt head of hair" (Sir Walter Scott).
Slipshod suggests inattention to detail and a general absence of meticulousness: "the new owners' camp ... a slipshod and slovenly affair, tent half stretched, dishes unwashed" (Jack London).

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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