scrubby

[ skruhb-ee ]

adjective

, scrub·bi·er, scrub·bi·est.

1. low or stunted, as trees.
2. consisting of or covered with scrub, stunted trees, etc.
3. undersized or inferior, as animals.
4. wretched; shabby.

scrubby

/ ˈskrʌbɪ /

adjective

1. covered with or consisting of scrub
2. (of trees or vegetation) stunted in growth
3. informal.
   messy

Derived Forms

• ˈscrubbiness, noun

Other Words From

• scrubbi·ly adverb
• scrubbi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of scrubby¹

First recorded in 1745–55; scrub ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Setting fires in the Sandhills of central North Carolina requires an understanding of moisture levels in the scrubby underbrush, and she gets a better sense of it in bare feet.

From Salon

Stretching more than 8,000 square miles, Kern is the state’s third-largest county by land area and encompasses varied topography, from arid desert to scrubby grassland and mountain forests.

From Los Angeles Times

A billionaire-backed vision to erect an idealistic new city on scrubby grassland in rural Solano County is one step closer to becoming reality.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s a picture from that day that shows Auerbach, a high school sports star from a solidly middle-class upbringing, sitting in the scrubby yard outside Ford’s double-wide trailer home.

From Los Angeles Times

When Varlin Higbee eyes the scrubby forest of pinyon pines and juniper trees that fill the high desert outside this old Union Pacific Railroad town, there’s just one thought that crosses his mind:

From Los Angeles Times