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slovenly — untidy or careless in appearance or habits

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: untidy or careless in appearance or habits

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈslʌvənli/

Example Sentences

  • The professor was brilliant but had a slovenly appearance that made students giggle.
  • Her slovenly room was a maze of clothes, books, and pizza boxes.
  • The company fired him for his slovenly work attitude.

slovenly

ADJECTIVE

[/ˈslʌvənli/]

untidy or careless in appearance or habits

His slovenly desk is buried under crumbs, stains, and yesterday's socks.
💡 Concept

His slovenly desk is buried under crumbs, stains, and yesterday's socks.

Slow sloth, sloppy style - slovenly and slow, meanwhile!
🧠 Mnemonic

Slow sloth, sloppy style - slovenly and slow, meanwhile!

From slovenly to lovely, heavenly!
🎵 Rhyme

From slovenly to lovely, heavenly!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈslʌvənli/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈslʌvənli/

🌳Etymology

Rootsloven
Suffix--ly

Origin

From Middle Dutch 'slof' meaning slovenly or loose, combined with the English diminutive suffix '-en'. The word entered English in the 16th century to describe someone of slovenly or careless habits.

Breakdown

slove (base, related to Dutch 'slof' meaning loose/slovenly) + -ly (adverb/adjective suffix indicating manner or quality) = slovenly

🎵Rhyme

lovely
heavenly
friendly

🔗Collocations

slovenly appearance
slovenly habits
slovenly dress
slovenly manner
slovenly work

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“The professor was brilliant but had a slovenly appearance that made students giggle.”

😄 Fun example

“Her slovenly room was a maze of clothes, books, and pizza boxes.”

“The company fired him for his slovenly work attitude.”

“Despite being wealthy, he was known for his slovenly dress sense.”

📚Related Words

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