scratchier; scratchiest
1
: marked or made with scratches
scratchy drawing
scratchy handwriting
2
: likely to scratch : prickly
scratchy undergrowth
3
: making a scratching noise
4
: uneven in quality : ragged
5
: causing tingling or itching : irritating
scratchy wool
6
: somewhat inflamed and sore
a scratchy throat
scratchily adverb
scratchiness noun

Examples of scratchy in a Sentence

listening to scratchy old records The costume is made from scratchy material. He is sick with a scratchy throat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His voice — raw, nasal, scratchy but full of passion, anger and wry wisdom — is near enough to the original to be unmistakable and yet colored by the actor’s persona to a degree that suggests something closer to symbiosis than impersonation. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024 The aloe vera and shea butter nourish and soothe, leaving you with supple, fluffy hair rather than a scratchy feeling. Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024 For me, that joy stems from planning—and going on—big trips with friends, preferably during a time of year when viral infections aren’t swirling, the weather’s warm and sunny, and there are no scratchy, generic sweaters with fuzz balls on them in sight. Julia Sullivan, SELF, 6 Dec. 2024 Gone are the days of scratchy speaker boxes where items got lost in translation. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scratchy 

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scratchy was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near scratchy

Cite this Entry

“Scratchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scratchy. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

scratchy

adjective
scratchier; scratchiest
1
: likely to scratch or make sore or raw : prickly
scratchy woolens
2
: making a scratching noise
3
: marked or made with scratches
a scratchy surface
scratchy handwriting
4
: uneven in quality : ragged
played a scratchy game of golf
5
: somewhat sore
a scratchy throat
scratchiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scratchy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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