sloppily
UK[ˈslɒp.ɪl.i]US[ˈslɑː.pəl.i]
adv
in a careless and untidy way
adv
in a way that shows a lack of care or attention to detail
Morpheme Breakdown
slopp
i
ly
slopp
sense
i
sense
ly
sense
Etymology
the adverb 'sloppily' is built upon the adjective 'sloppy', which emerged in the 18th century from the noun 'slop', meaning liquid mud or spilled liquid. the core morpheme 'slop' is likely of onomatopoeic origin, imitating the sound of something wet falling or splashing. the addition of the suffix '-y' formed the adjective describing a wet, messy, or careless quality. finally, the standard adverbial suffix '-ly' was appended, following a regular english pattern, to create the word describing the manner of performing an action with messiness or insufficient care.
Analysis
Structure: slopp (sense) + i (sense) + ly (sense)
slopp (from english 'slop', of uncertain origin, likely imitative; conveys the sense of liquid spilling or messiness), i (english connective vowel), ly (old english adverbial suffix)
Examples
the report was written sloppily, with many spelling errors.
he dressed sloppily for the informal gathering.
the paint was applied so sloppily that it dripped down the wall.