What does mangy mean?
Mangy describes something dirty, shabby, or visibly neglected, especially clothing, buildings, animals, or the unkempt appearance of a person. It often implies deterioration: a mangy coat may be torn and filthy, while a mangy building may have a neglected or decaying exterior. When used of a person, the term is usually unkind and suggests personal neglect, poverty, or poor hygiene, though it can also be used more playfully as a comic exaggeration. The word also has a more specific animal sense: a mangy dog or other mammal is one suffering from mange, a contagious skin disease that can cause hair loss, crusting, and irritation. In ordinary use, “mangy” conveys a stronger and more vividly unpleasant impression than simply untidy, making it a forceful word for describing something conspicuously worn, grimy, or neglected.
adjectiveDirty, shabby, and in a neglected or worn condition; dishevested and unkempt when describing a person. It can also mean affected by mange, a skin disease chiefly affecting dogs and other mammals.
- Dirty, shabby, ragged, or in a neglected condition.
- Looking dishevelled, unkempt, or squalid, especially as a critical description of a person.
- Affected by mange, especially of an animal.
"A stray dog with a mangy coat slept outside the bakery."
"The house had a mangy roof and peeling paint."
"He was called away from school for wearing a mangy jacket."
A word that can make an untidy person sound not merely dishevelled, but as though the dust had formed a coat of their own.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mangy
The word entered English in the late 16th century, probably through French, but its precise development is uncertain. Its suggested connection is with the root meaning “to eat,” a root also preserved in words such as mange, manger, and mandible; however, the exact historical route by which this root produced the modern sense of “shabby” is not entirely certain.
Related word forms
How mangy is actually used
The word is generally disparaging and is often applied to people, animals, clothing, or buildings. Its use on a person may suggest neglect or poverty rather than merely untidiness; the disease sense is most often used of dogs.
Easily confused with mangy
Mange is a skin disease, while mangy is the adjective describing a person, animal, or object affected by or resembling that condition.