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.
Now, people who don’t have a technical understanding, there might be bootlegs, but that is scratchy stuff with not very good sound. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025 Then the two leaders discussed how to handle it if the headset communication cuts off, slips to a low volume or becomes scratchy. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 5 Sep. 2025 One of the most poignant choices is to intercut scratchy film of the train that in 1921 transported the Unknown Soldier to Rome in a coffin draped with patriotic banners and flowers, to be enshrined in the Altar of the Fatherland with an eternal flame at the Vittorio Emanuele II monument. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025 Even though modern machines and detergents have taken most of the workload out of the task, there are still some outdated laundry habits that may leave your clothes and linens looking dingy, smelling less than fresh, and feeling scratchy. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scratchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scratchy. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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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