What does slabby mean?
Slabby is an informal adjective describing something that is broad and flat or has the heavy, solid appearance of a slab. It is especially useful for visual description: a cliff may have a slabby face, a plain may contain slabby rock formations, and a person may wear a conspicuously expressionless, slabby look. The word suggests not merely flatness but also mass, rigidity, and an unfinished or blunt quality. It can therefore carry a mildly critical or humorous tone when applied to a person's expression or appearance. Although it occurs in ordinary English in both British and American usage, it is less common and less formal than standard alternatives such as slab-like, flat, broad, or blocky. Slabby is most natural when the object or surface has a clearly geometric, weighty appearance.
adjectiveBroad and flat in shape, or having the heavy, solid appearance of a slab.
- Broad and flat in form, like a slab.
- Having a heavy, solid, block-like appearance.
"The cliff's slabby rock face reflected the late afternoon sun."
"Layers of slabby sediment were exposed along the hillside."
"He wore a slabby expression that discouraged further questions."
Slabby gives a blunt, vivid name to anything that looks like a broad slab, from stone terraces to an unsmiling expression.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does slabby come from?
Slabby was formed in the 19th century by adding the suffix -y to slab, a word for a broad, flat piece of a hard material. The adjective consequently develops the meaning of the noun: resembling or having the appearance of a slab.
How slabby is actually used
This is an informal descriptive adjective rather than formal geological terminology. It is especially effective for broad, flat surfaces and objects with a conspicuously solid appearance.