scrubby
Sparse and stunted
Scrubby describes vegetation that is stunted, sparse, or consisting mainly of low shrubs: scrubby hillsides, scrubby brush.
Land covered in such growth is scrubby terrain.
The word extends to anything that looks meager, rough, or unkempt: a scrubby little beard, a scrubby patch of lawn that never quite filled in.
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
- chaparralDense, drought-adapted shrubbery
- brushBristled cleaning tool
- thicketDense shrub cluster
- undergrowthLow forest vegetation
heathland · brushwood · brambles · sagebrush · manzanita · mesquite · heath · bracken
Short and thick
- scrawnyUnattractively thin and bony
- stuntedArrested in development
- scragglyIrregularly sparse and messy
- gnarledTwisted and knotty
twisted · dwarfed · undersized · sparse · wiry · spindly · withered · knotty
Untidy in appearance
- scruffyMessily neglected in appearance
- raggedWorn to shreds
- shabbyWorn and neglected
- untidyLacking neatness or order
bedraggled · neglected · overgrown · messy · tangled · matted · rough · coarse
Covered with stiff hairs
shrubland
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
undergrowth · heathland · brushwood · brambles · sagebrush · manzanita · mesquite · heath · bracken · gorse
stubby
Short and thick
- scrawnyUnattractively thin and bony
- stuntedArrested in development
- scragglyIrregularly sparse and messy
gnarled · twisted · dwarfed · undersized · sparse · wiry · spindly · withered · knotty · low-growing
disheveled
Untidy in appearance
untidy · bedraggled · neglected · overgrown · messy · tangled · matted · rough · coarse · bristly
bristly
Covered with stiff hairs
prickly · wiry · stiff · abrasive · harsh · stubbly · spiky · thorny
arid
Devoid of water
desolate · dry · dusty · windswept · rugged · inhospitable · parched · hardscrabble · marginal · unproductive
- scrub upCleanse hands for sterility
- scrub spongeTextured dish cleaner
- scrub brushStiff-bristled cleaning implement
- scrub outClean by hard rubbing
- hand scrubAbrasive soap for palms
- body scrubGrainy cleanser removing dead cells
scrub, scrubbing, scrubbed, scrubs, scrubber, scrubland, scrubbers, scrubbier, scrubbiest