jalopy

[ juh-lop-ee ]

noun

, Informal.

, plural ja·lop·ies.

1. an old, decrepit, or unpretentious automobile.

jalopy

/ dʒəˈlɒpɪ /

noun

1. informal.
   a dilapidated old car

Word History and Origins

Origin of jalopy¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of jalopy¹

C20: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Kelce has gone the extra mile, buying a onetime muffler shop to expand Operation Breakthrough’s campus and create the Ignition Lab, in which students convert dilapidated jalopies into lacquered, showroom-ready electric vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times

If this were a 1940s noir, Lou would be fixing jalopies in a dingy garage while waiting for a dame to stroll in to change his fate.

From New York Times

Part of the carnival circuit, the family travels a snowy landscape in their jalopy, killing people along the way seemingly for sport, but also, perhaps, as part of a morbid quest for immortality.

From New York Times

It was a replica of the jalopies that passed through Kern County during the Dust Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times

After all, the whole reason I drive a jalopy manufactured during George W. Bush’s presidency is to have an easier time paying for food.

From Salon