しょぼい
しょぼい
i-adjective
shabby; pathetic; lame
1.
shabby; rundown; poor quality
Describing something that looks worn out, cheap, or of low quality.
しょぼい店だな。
What a shabby store.
部屋がしょぼい。
The room is rundown.
しょぼいプレゼントをもらった。
I got a cheap-looking present.
2.
pathetic; lame; unimpressive
Describing something disappointing or someone who seems weak or pitiful.
しょぼい結果だった。
The results were pathetic.
しょぼい言い訳だ。
That's a lame excuse.
期待していたけどしょぼかった。
I had high expectations but it was disappointing.
しょぼい may come from しょぼしょぼ, an onomatopoeia describing something weak, dim, or bleary (like tired eyes).
REGISTER:
This is casual/colloquial language. Use 貧弱な, みすぼらしい}, or {情けない in more formal contexts.
CONJUGATION:
As an i-adjective: しょぼくない (negative), しょぼかった (past), しょぼく (adverb form).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- しょぼい顔: a dejected/pitiful face
- しょぼく見える: to look shabby/pathetic