What does scruffy mean?
Word: Scruffy
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Scruffy means dirty and untidy in appearance, as clothes, hair or animals can look when they have not been cared for.
Synonyms: untidy, messy
Antonyms: neat, smart, tidy
How do you spell scruffy?
Syllables: scruf - fy
Tricky part: The f is doubled after the short u. Students write scrufy with a single f.
Watch out for: scrufy, skruffy
Memory tip: Think of the scruff of a puppy's neck, the loose fur you can hold: scruff already has its double f before any ending is added.
Scruffy in a sentence
Example 1: The scruffy puppy we found at the bus stop is now our pet.
Example 2: Papa told me to change my scruffy shoes before the wedding.
Example 3: After the camping trip, all of us looked tired and scruffy.
Fun Fact
Scruffy comes from scruff, an old form of scurf, which means the dry flakes of skin that fall from the scalp.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
Our cat came home scruffey and wet after a night out in the garden, so Didi dried her with a towl.
a) only scruffey
b) only garden
c) garden and towl
d) scruffey and towl
Show answer
d) scruffey and towl. Scruffy ends in a plain y with no e, and towel has an e before its l.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
After rolling in the muddy field all afternoon, our dog Tommy looked so ___ that Ma gave him a bath.
a) polished
b) sleek
c) spotless
d) scruffy
Show answer
d) scruffy. Sleek, spotless and polished all describe a clean, cared-for look; a muddy, rumpled dog looks scruffy.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. scruffy 2. timid 3. sluggish a. shy b. slow c. shabby
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Scruffy clothes are shabby, a timid child is shy and a sluggish dog is slow.
Sound Check
In which word is 'u' pronounced differently?
a) butter
b) puzzle
c) scruffy
d) bush
Show answer
d) bush. In bush, u is the short oo of put; scruffy, puzzle and butter all have the u of cup.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would look scruffy?
a) a freshly ironed uniform
b) a new pair of shoes
c) a torn, muddy shirt
d) a neatly folded towel
Show answer
c) a torn, muddy shirt
2. Before the class photo, the teacher asked Arjun to tidy his scruffy hair. What did Arjun most likely do?
a) He polished his shoes
b) He packed his bag
c) He combed it neatly
d) He cut his nails
Show answer
c) He combed it neatly
