sloven

[ sluhv-uhn ]

noun

1. a person who is habitually negligent of neatness or cleanliness in dress, appearance, etc.
2. a person who works, acts, speaks, etc., in a negligent, slipshod manner.

sloven

/ ˈslʌvən /

noun

1. a person who is habitually negligent in appearance, hygiene, or work

Word History and Origins

Origin of sloven¹

1400–50; late Middle English sloveyn, perhaps < Middle Dutch slof careless ( Dutch slof careless, sloven to toil) + -inne feminine noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of sloven¹

C15: probably related to Flemish sloef dirty, Dutch slof negligent

Example Sentences

The agency’s report on her said she “had a very poor personal appearance, her clothes were sloven and dirty, and her hair was uncombed and matty, and she had a very offensive body odor.”

From Washington Times

Leaving traces of her sloven unhousebroken self all over the county.

From Literature

He, God, had made a sloven and unforgivable error in judgment: designing an imperfect universe.

From Literature

The names of the teams - "kings, royals, knights" - reveal a lack of imagination and a sloven admiration for colonial and aristocratic titles.

From BBC

He was such a sloven, as if he had trusted to his genius as a cloak for everything that could disgust you in his person....

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lout