sloven: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, literary, dated
Quick answer
What does “sloven” mean?
A person who is habitually untidy, dirty, or careless in their appearance or habits.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who is habitually untidy, dirty, or careless in their appearance or habits.
Someone who shows negligence or lack of care in their work, duties, or personal environment; can imply moral sloppiness or intellectual carelessness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare in both varieties. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British literary contexts.
Connotations
Both varieties share the core connotation of negligent untidiness, with a moralistic overtone.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary corpora for both BrE and AmE.
Grammar
How to Use “sloven” in a Sentence
He is a sloven.She lived like a sloven.They accused him of being a sloven.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sloven” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- No standard verb form.
American English
- No standard verb form.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverb form; use 'slovenly'.
- The room was slovenly kept.
American English
- No standard adverb form; use 'slovenly'.
- He dressed slovenly for the interview.
adjective
British English
- No standard adjective form; use 'slovenly'.
- His slovenly appearance was remarked upon.
American English
- No standard adjective form; use 'slovenly'.
- She was fired for her slovenly work habits.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Would be considered archaic or overly harsh.
Academic
Rare, might appear in historical or literary criticism discussing character.
Everyday
Extremely rare. 'Slob' is the common modern equivalent.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sloven”
- Using it as an adjective (the adjective is 'slovenly').
- Confusing it with the demonym 'Slovene'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare and dated. The adjective 'slovenly' is more common, though still formal.
'Sloven' is older, more formal/literary, and can imply moral failing. 'Slob' is the modern, colloquial term focusing on untidiness and laziness.
Yes, it can refer to any person, though historically 'slattern' was a more specific term for an untidy woman.
No, it is a false friend. 'Sloven' (untidy person) and 'Slovene' (person from Slovenia) are etymologically unrelated.
A person who is habitually untidy, dirty, or careless in their appearance or habits.
Sloven is usually formal, literary, dated in register.
Sloven: in British English it is pronounced /ˈslʌv(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈslʌvən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms with 'sloven' as a noun.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A SLOVenly person is a SLOVEN.
Conceptual Metaphor
CARELESSNESS IS DIRT / NEGLIGENCE IS SLOPPINESS
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the closest modern synonym for 'sloven'?