Scrubby/ˈskrʌbi/ Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Natural Settings Often describes areas where plants grow wild without much care. We camped in a scrubby zone just off the trail. Pro Tip 2/3Sparse Growth Used to indicate vegetation that is not thick or dense. The scrubby brush made it easier to hike through. Pro Tip 3/3Rural or Wild Refers to plants in natural, often undeveloped, landscapes, not urban gardens. She photographed the scrubby hillside, full of wildflowers.