Mangy describes something that looks shabby, worn-out, and unpleasant, especially when covered with patchy, missing, or damaged fur or hair. The word originally described animals suffering from a skin disease caused by tiny mites that makes fur fall out in clumps, leaving bald, scabby patches. A mangy dog might have bare spots all over its coat, looking sick and neglected.

You'll often hear the word used more broadly to describe anything that looks ragged and pitiful. Someone might call an old, threadbare stuffed animal mangy after years of being dragged everywhere and washed countless times. A mangy carpet in an old building might be stained, worn through in spots, and generally unpleasant to look at.

The word carries a sense of disgust or pity: mangy things look like they've been through hard times and desperately need help or replacement. When someone calls something mangy, they're emphasizing just how shabby and unappealing it is, like a mangy old couch left on the sidewalk that nobody wants to touch.