shabby
/ˈʃæbi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʃæbi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsha-bē/ (ame, mw)
shabby — 形容詞
- shabbypositive
- shabbiercomparative
- shabbiestsuperlative
1. describes clothes, buildings, furniture, or other objects that have become old,
破舊的；破爛的
因長期使用或缺乏保養而破損老舊的
describes clothes, buildings, furniture, or other objects that have become old, torn, or dirty from prolonged use or a lack of proper care.
Mr. Chen wore a shabby coat with holes in the elbows to the market.
陳先生每天早上都穿著一件手肘處有破洞的破舊外套去市場。
shabby + noun (coat) for worn clothing
The hotel room had shabby carpets and peeling wallpaper that no one replaced.
那間旅館的房間鋪著破舊的地毯，牆紙也剝落了，多年來都沒人更換。
Fatima bought a shabby old desk from a second-hand shop and sanded it down.
Fatima 從二手商店買了一張破舊的桌子，把它打磨了一遍。
The neighbourhood looked shabby after the factory closed and buildings were left empty.
那家工廠關閉之後，建築物都空置了，整個社區看起來破舊不堪。
- worn
softer, focuses on gradual use over time rather than neglect
- tattered
stronger, specifically torn or ragged (of fabric/clothing)
- dilapidated
more formal, used for buildings or structures in very bad condition
- ragged
focuses on torn edges, especially of clothes or fabric
文法句型
be + shabby
shabby + noun
look/feel/seem + shabby
用法筆記
Can describe both a person's appearance (shabby clothes) and a place (shabby building). When used of a person's dress, it implies neglect rather than poverty.
常見錯誤
2. describes actions, treatment, or behaviour that are dishonest, unfair, and moral
不公平的；卑鄙的
不誠實、不公平且不道德的
describes actions, treatment, or behaviour that are dishonest, unfair, and morally unacceptable — for example, blaming someone else for your own mistake or breaking a promise you made.
Diego's shabby treatment of his assistant, making her work late without pay, angered the whole team.
Diego 讓助理工作到很晚卻不支付加班費，這種卑鄙的對待方式激怒了整個團隊。
shabby treatment of + person
It was a shabby trick to take credit for Amara's idea while she was away.
趁 Amara 不在場時把她提出的點子據為己有，那是很卑鄙的伎倆。
shabby trick — fixed collocation for mean behaviour
The landlord offered a shabby excuse about plumbing problems instead of fixing the broken heater properly.
房東沒有好好修理壞掉的暖氣，反而找了個關於水管問題的爛藉口塘塞過去。
- unfair
less emotive; simply describes lack of fairness
- dishonourable
more formal, focuses on loss of personal integrity
- contemptible
stronger, deserving scorn or disgust
- mean
everyday word for unkind or selfish behaviour
- honourable
acting with honesty and strong moral principles
- decent
treating others fairly and with respect
文法句型
shabby + noun (treatment/trick/excuse)
it is shabby of someone to...
用法筆記
Strongly disapproving. Often used in British English to criticise how someone has been treated. Subject is typically a person or an organisation's action.
常見錯誤
3. describes work, goods, or services that fall short of what is expected or needed
低劣的；差的
品質不佳或未達標準的
describes work, goods, or services that fall short of what is expected or needed, often because of carelessness or lack of skill.
Sofia complained that the kitchen cabinets showed really shabby workmanship — the doors did not close properly.
Sofia 抱怨廚房櫥櫃的做工非常粗糙——門都關不緊。
shabby + workmanship — describes poorly made items
The hotel served a shabby breakfast of stale bread and weak coffee.
那間旅館提供的早餐很寒酸，只有不新鮮的麵包和淡咖啡。
Kenji returned the shoes because the stitching came apart — the quality was too shabby.
Kenji 穿了一個星期就把鞋子退回去了，因為縫線都脫落了——品質實在太差了。
- poor
more general and less strong; simply not good enough
- inferior
more formal; lower in rank or quality compared to something else
- second-rate
informal; not among the best
- cheap
focuses on low cost that results in poor quality
文法句型
be + shabby
shabby + noun (work/service/workmanship)