slapdash

slapdash — adjective

1. If work or a task is slapdash, it has been done too quickly without enough atten

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

If work or a task is slapdash, it has been done too quickly without enough attention to detail, so the result looks untidy or contains errors.

Example

Sirin's slapdash repair of the fence lasted only two days before it fell apart.

collocation: slapdash repair

The contractor did a slapdash job on the bathroom tiles, leaving gaps between them.

collocation: slapdash job

Common collocations
  • slapdash work
  • slapdash repair
  • slapdash report
  • slapdash job
  • slapdash approach
  • slapdash manner
  • slapdash way
Synonyms
  • sloppy

    more informal, suggests messiness rather than speed

  • hasty

    focuses on the speed, with less emphasis on the poor outcome

  • slipshod

    slightly more formal; describes neglected or untidy work

  • careless

    broader meaning; does not necessarily imply that the task was rushed

Antonyms
  • meticulous

    done with great care and attention to every detail

  • thorough

    complete and careful, leaving nothing out

Usage Note

Used especially for describing work, repairs, reports, or any task that has been rushed. More common in British English than in American English.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'She did a slapdash job on purpose because she wanted it to look nice.' ✅ 'She did a slapdash job because she was in a hurry.' — slapdash implies rushing or not caring, so it conflicts with a goal of making something look nice.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe work that is not done well, but they differ in what they emphasise. Slapdash strongly suggests the poor quality comes from rushing — hurrying to finish without attention to detail. Sloppy is more informal and highlights messiness or untidiness (“a sloppy handwriting”). Hasty focuses on speed as the main problem; something hasty may still turn out fine by luck. Slipshod is slightly more formal than slapdash and often describes neglected maintenance or a lazy attitude (“slipshod record-keeping”). Careless is the broadest term, covering any kind of lack of care whether from rushing, tiredness, or indifference. For example: “The slapdash plastering left lumps all over the wall” (rushed and messy), but “He made a hasty decision to quit” (too fast, not necessarily messy).

sloppyhastyslipshodcareless ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in a slapdash way / manner / fashion
  • a slapdash attitude to / towards

Etymology

EnglishMiddle EnglishGermanic

Slapdash was formed in the late 1600s by combining two words: slap, meaning “suddenly” or “with a noisy impact” (as in slap-bang), and dash, meaning “to rush” or “to throw violently.” The original image was of doing something with a single hasty, messy action — like slapping paint onto a wall without care. It first appeared as an adverb meaning “in a careless, headlong manner” and later developed into an adjective describing hurriedly done work.