Scruffy
/ˈskrʌfi/noun
Shabby, untidy, or having a rough, unkempt appearance.
Did you know?The word is tied to older English uses of scruff meaning a scab, crust, or rough patch, so its history is literally about something ragged and skin-deep.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to cut, scratch, or scrape”
Old Norse
ON
skruf
“a roughness, wrinkle, or scab-like crust”
Middle English
English
scruf
“a scab, crust, or rough, ragged patch”
18th Century
English
scruffy
“rough, scabbed, or shabby in appearance”
Modern English
English
scruffy
“shabby, untidy, or unkempt”