What does shabby mean?
Word: Shabby
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Shabby means old, worn and untidy from a lot of use, like an old shirt with holes at the elbows.
Synonyms: worn, ragged, tattered
Antonyms: smart
How do you spell shabby?
Syllables: shab - by
Tricky part: The b is doubled after the short a, just as in rabbit. Shaby is the slip teachers see most.
Watch out for: shaby, shabbi, shabbie
Memory tip: Imagine a shabby coat with two loose buttons hanging off it: those are the two b's.
Shabby in a sentence
Example 1: The shabby sofa in our hall has a hole in one cushion.
Example 2: He looked shabby after the long, dusty bus ride.
Example 3: We painted the shabby old gate a bright green.
Fun Fact
Shabby comes from shab, an old word for a scab, so it first described something scabby and rough.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
shabby
a) frayed
b) faded
c) neat
d) torn
Show answer
c) neat. A neat shirt is clean and tidy, the reverse of a shabby one.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Raju put on a shabbey shirt to clean the garage.
a) shirt
b) garage
c) shabbey
d) clean
Show answer
c) shabbey. The word ends in a plain y, as in happy, with no e before it.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
bysahb
a) chubby
b) shady
c) shaggy
d) shabby
Show answer
d) shabby. Every letter is used once in shabby: s, h, a, b, b, y. Shaggy, chubby and shady each need a letter that is not here.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) wrinkeled
b) crumpeld
c) shabby
d) patchwerk
Show answer
c) shabby. Crumpled ends in -led, wrinkled has no e before its l and patchwork has or in work; shabby is spelt right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these could be described as shabby?
a) an empty classroom
b) a plain white wall
c) an old sofa with a sagging cushion
d) a small, cheap pencil
Show answer
c) an old sofa with a sagging cushion
2. Why might a school bag look shabby?
a) it is too heavy to carry
b) it has too many pockets
c) it is a dark colour
d) it has been used daily for years
Show answer
d) it has been used daily for years
