Shabby
/ˈʃæbi/noun
Worn out, in poor condition, or unkempt; also mean-spirited or unfair.
Did you know?English shabby is a 17th-century formation tied to earlier dialectal forms meaning ragged or tattered, not to any occult root — but it became a powerful insult for both clothes and behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
shabby
“ragged, worn, or mean in appearance”
17th Century
English
shab
“ragged, shabby; a dialectal form”
Late Middle English
English
shabbed
“tattered or worn”
Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*skab-
“to scrape or scratch; roughness or damage”
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