Standard Lemma guide

slovenly

adj · adv · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈslʌv.ən.li/
  • UK: /ˈslʌv.ən.li/
  • UK: /ˈslɒv.ən.li/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S L AH1 V AH0 N L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having an untidy appearance; unkempt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Dirty, unwashed; disorderly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Careless or negligent; sloppy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

In a slovenly manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

negligent of neatness especially in dress and person; habitually dirty and unkempt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • filled the door with her frowzy bulk
  • frowzy white hair
  • slovenly appearance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frowsy, frowzy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English sloven Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -ly English -ly English slovenly From sloven + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

88 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: փնթի (pʻntʻi) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Azerbaijani: pinti — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Bulgarian: развлечен (razvlečen) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Bulgarian: разпасан (razpasan) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Bulgarian: неугледен (neugleden) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Czech: nepořádný — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Dutch: slordig — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Dutch: onverzorgd — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Estonian: lohe — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Estonian: hoolitsemata — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Finnish: hoitamaton — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Finnish: sotkuinen — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Finnish: epäsiisti — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • French: négligé — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • French: dépeigné — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • German: schluderig — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Hausa: kucaki — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Hungarian: rendetlen — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Hungarian: elhanyagolt — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Italian: sciatto — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Latvian: netīrīgs — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Macedonian: неу́реден (neúreden) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Macedonian: ра́спашан (ráspašan) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Macedonian: за́пустен (zápusten) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Māori: taruweka — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Māori: hakirara — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Māori: hakurara — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Polish: abnegacki — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Portuguese: mulambento — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Russian: неря́шливый (nerjášlivyj) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Russian: неопря́тный (neoprjátnyj) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Spanish: dejado — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Spanish: desaliñado — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Swedish: sjabbig — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Ottoman Turkish: پنتی (pinti) — having an untidy appearance; unkempt
  • Azerbaijani: pinti — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Bulgarian: мръсен (mrǎsen) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Bulgarian: неумит (neumit) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Bulgarian: мърляв (mǎrljav) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Czech: nepořádný — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Dutch: vuil — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Dutch: slordig — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Finnish: sotkuinen — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • French: sale — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Hungarian: ápolatlan — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Italian: sudicio — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Italian: sporco — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Latvian: netīrīgs — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Macedonian: не́чист (néčist) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Macedonian: гна́сен (gnásen) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Macedonian: неу́реден (neúreden) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Plautdietsch: pukjrich — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Polish: abnegacki — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Portuguese: porco — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Russian: гря́зный (grjáznyj) — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Spanish: desaseado — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Swedish: smutsig — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Swedish: lortig — dirty, unwashed; disorderly
  • Bulgarian: небрежен (nebrežen) — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Bulgarian: немарлив (nemarliv) — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Czech: ledabylý — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Dutch: slordig — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Finnish: suruton — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • French: négligé — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • French: bâclé — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • German: schluderig — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • German: nachlässig — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • German: schlampig — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Hungarian: hanyag — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Hungarian: felületes — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Irish: leibideach — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Italian: trascurato — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Macedonian: запустен (zapusten) — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Māori: hakuhakutai — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Māori: hakirara — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Māori: hakurara — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Māori: tāheha — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Māori: taruweka — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Polish: abnegacki — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Portuguese: descuidado — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Russian: неаккура́тный (neakkurátnyj) — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Russian: небре́жный (nebréžnyj) — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Swedish: slarvig — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Swedish: hafsig — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Ottoman Turkish: كوشك (gevşek) — careless or negligent; sloppy
  • Bulgarian: немарливо (nemarlivo) — Translations
  • Bulgarian: мърляво (mǎrljavo) — Translations
  • Polish: abnegacko — Translations