MEANING
1. Affected by mange, a skin disease that can cause an animal to lose hair and become irritated.
2. Shabby, dirty, or worn-looking; figuratively, shabby in appearance or condition.
Use it for
Describe an animal affected by mange, or a shabby, neglected appearance.Show neglect or illness through an animal’s ragged coat and condition.
Words that belong together
- mangy dog
- mangy fox
- mangy coat
- mangy animal
- mangy old coat
- mangy room
- mangy-looking building
On the page
A mangy fox nosed through the wet refuse behind the station.
A mangy curtain drooped over the boardinghouse’s cracked front window.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- mangy
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Usage notes
The literal sense describes mange or its effects on an animal’s coat; it is not a neutral medical diagnosis. Sense 2: When applied to objects it is disparaging; applied to a person, it can sound insulting.
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