schäbig
Translation
shabby, scruffy, mean, stingy
Examples
Sein Mantel ist alt und schäbig.
His coat is old and shabby.
Das war eine schäbige Behandlung.
That was mean treatment.
Er gab nur ein schäbiges Trinkgeld.
He only gave a stingy tip.
Grammar Patterns
predicative: to be/seem ((...)) The hotel was quite shabby.
attributive: a shabby trick
Similar Words
Synonyms: heruntergekommen, armselig, gemein; Antonyms: elegant, großzügig, edel
Etymology
From Middle High German 'schebec' (scabby, mangy), related to 'Schabe' (cockroach, scab). The sense of 'worn out' or 'mean' developed from this.
Memory Tips
Think of a 'shabby' coat that looks like it has been scraped ('geschabt') or nibbled by roaches ('Schaben').