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 Telltale warning signs of a cold usually include sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and scratchy throat. Sarah Bradley, Health, 6 Oct. 2024 But Frank was more the scratchy handwriting type, prone to splotch—not one to weep, let alone for long. Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024 Unlike the scratchy wool of your grandma sweater, this fabric is soft and smooth, and feels light and breezy next to the skin. Kristine Thomason, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2024 Wen: Common symptoms include runny or stuffy nose, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, scratchy throat, and itching and burning in the nose, mouth and eyes. Katia Hetter, CNN, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scratchy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scratchy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 4 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!