ramshackle

adjective

ram·shack·le ˈram-ˌsha-kəl

Synonyms of ramshackle next

: appearing ready to collapse : rickety

: carelessly or loosely constructed

a ramshackle plot

Did you know?

The Evolution of Ramshackle

Ramshackle has nothing to do with rams, nor the act of being rammed, nor shackles. The word is an alteration of ransackled, an obsolete form of the verb ransack, meaning "to search through or plunder." (Ransack comes from Old Norse words meaning "house" and "seek.") A home that has been ransacked has had its contents thrown into disarray, and that image may be what inspired people to start using ramshackle in the first half of the 19th century to describe something that is poorly constructed or in a state of near collapse. Ramshackle in modern use can also be figurative, as in "a ramshackle excuse for the error."

Examples of ramshackle in a Sentence

The movie's ramshackle plot is confusing and not believable.

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.

Low-scudding, rain-laden clouds threaten to soak a group of Palestinian farmers huddling around their ramshackle sheep sheds as the Israel Defense Forces troops drive up to serve them eviction notices. —

Nic Robertson, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024 Maximus’s quest for revenge takes him from a ramshackle arena in Spain all the way to the Colosseum, fighting man and beast alike in the hopes of gaining vengeance and freedom. —

James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024 The treasure trove included the rarest of rare examples from Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz, stored in various states of disrepair, either in ramshackle steel sheds or out in the open. —

Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024 Baker tours the ramshackle, bilingual American dream of ethnic rivalries between Russians and Armenians and belligerent working-class youths addicted to sneakers and video games. —

Armond White, National Review, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ramshackle