Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Shabby for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Shabby" — adjective, pronounced /ˈʃæbi/, with the stress on "shab".
Narrator: Shabby means looking old and worn because of long use, or behaving unfairly.
Narrator: In plain English, shabby means scruffy or mean.
Narrator: It comes from dialect shab, a scab.
Narrator: A common collocation is "shabby coat", which describes a worn, tatty coat.
Narrator: It differs from "old", because old things can be well kept, while shabby things look worn out.
Narrator: In a second sense, "shabby treatment" means unfair, unkind behaviour.
Narrator: Fashion, interiors, property and journalism all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: shabby is worn out, or not very nice.
Speaker A: Why does the café look so tired?
Speaker B: The sofas are SHABBY! From dialect shab, a scab.
Speaker A: Torn cushions?
Speaker B: And faded paint.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A shabby old suitcase", travel. "That was shabby treatment", fairness. "Shabby chic furniture", interiors.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Double the "b", "shabby".
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Scruffy is its cousin, tatty its twin, and threadbare an alternative — yet shabby keeps its lived-in charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "shabby" in AI prompts — useful for interior design and customer feedback.
Speaker A: How for interiors?
Speaker B: Style ideas.
Prompt: Suggest a shabby chic look for a small bedroom on a tight budget.
Speaker A: And feedback?
Speaker B: Spot issues.
Prompt: Find reviews that describe our hotel rooms as shabby and list the fixes needed.
Speaker A: Could it help property?
Speaker B: Yes, for listings.
Prompt: Rewrite this listing so a shabby kitchen is described honestly as needing updating.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Apologies.
Prompt: Write an apology to a customer who says they received shabby treatment.
Shabby — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary