1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
some ratty old magazines were the only reading material in the mountaintop cabin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
can I use this ratty old T-shirt to wipe up some paint?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
I get pretty ratty after hours of dealing with demanding customers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a ratty way to treat an old friend who's fallen on hard times
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ratty
The Best Pajamas for Lounging and Sleeping Give your ratty old T-shirt and sweats the night off.
17 of the Highest Rated Sheet Sets on Amazon Under $40
Snuggle up.
—
Malia Griggs, SELF, 18 Oct. 2024
The room looks appropriately ratty: the floor is scuffed, the radiator covered in thick grime, and someone seems to have started, with impatient streaks, to paint one of the walls.
—Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
The bar was full of Berliners, gorgeous girls with ratty mullets and 1970s eyeglasses, skinny boys slouching in all black.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024
If your bath mat is ratty and scratchy, consider snapping up some replacements on Amazon.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratty 
Malia Griggs, SELF, 18 Oct. 2024
The room looks appropriately ratty: the floor is scuffed, the radiator covered in thick grime, and someone seems to have started, with impatient streaks, to paint one of the walls.
—Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
The bar was full of Berliners, gorgeous girls with ratty mullets and 1970s eyeglasses, skinny boys slouching in all black.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024
If your bath mat is ratty and scratchy, consider snapping up some replacements on Amazon.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
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Indeed, Birge’s renovation of a dilapidated house, taken down to the studs, isn’t everyone’s experience, but anyone who has done even a minor home makeover can relate.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2025
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But owners Five Dallas Partners — which shares ownership with CBZ Management, the company that controls several dilapidated properties in Denver and Aurora — have taken no action to secure the property, Chamberlain wrote.—
Seth Klamann,
The Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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What if standing up to Trump is the very thing that saves the Liberal Party, and Trudeau’s tattered legacy?—
Talib Visram,
TIME,
7 Feb. 2025
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But the tattered state of the alliance system is not Trump’s doing alone.—
Mira Rapp-Hooper,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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By the end, Liverpool’s players seemed tired and Klopp was irritable, clearly in need of a rest.—
Simon Hughes,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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The trio’s sixth record is charmingly irritable in both of its moods: hopped up on fluffy coffee while cracking baseball jokes, or dragging out downbeats and lamenting power structures to goad listeners with mounting anticipation.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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If coordinated correctly, Trump’s tariff threats offer an enormous opportunity for America’s neglected waterfront.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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Lawmakers also met to better understand the difficulties counties face in finding temporary placements for neglected and special needs children.—
Christina Lengyel | The Center Square contributor,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The ragged metallic roaring scream of a Boeing 727 ascending eastward, a high-pitched whine building to a thundering roar, fading to a drone.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
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The car screamed a ragged series of explosive pops.—
Rachel Kushner,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Also, when compared to active mutual funds, with an average fee of 1.02%, active ETFs are relatively cheaper.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2025
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For example, new builds are cheaper than existing homes in Austin, Texas, where builders have cranked out more (relatively) affordable inventory.—
Brianna Crane,
Axios,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Gray and faded whiskers may be changed to their natural color and even brown or black by using Buckingham dye – try it.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Groom indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers and declining portions.—
Tom MacCubbin,
Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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