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
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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 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
There was Harold’s Bar and the Waldorf Cellar, which was very grand, like a ’20s speakeasy, with booths and vinyl that had gone ratty and a big mural of palm trees.
—Nicole Acheampong, New York Times, 26 June 2024
Miller says his star also used contact lenses to obscure those dazzling baby blues, and was fine being featured with a long beard and a mane of hair that turns decidedly ratty as the tale progresses.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratty 
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
There was Harold’s Bar and the Waldorf Cellar, which was very grand, like a ’20s speakeasy, with booths and vinyl that had gone ratty and a big mural of palm trees.
—Nicole Acheampong, New York Times, 26 June 2024
Miller says his star also used contact lenses to obscure those dazzling baby blues, and was fine being featured with a long beard and a mane of hair that turns decidedly ratty as the tale progresses.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
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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
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Meanwhile, the Eagles were able to rest their starters and still coast against the dilapidated Giants.—
Hank Gola,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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With tattered cardboard signs directing cars and a makeshift sense of professionalism, the system was clear.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
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Footage shown on local and national TV news showed a tattered segment of the pier floating on the swell with at least one person walking across the debris.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
23 Dec. 2024
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
-
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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When done right, this type of content may be cheaper to produce compared to scripted shows, and bring in new (typically younger) demographics who have currently have more of an affinity to YouTube and other social media channels.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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Several North Florida areas are averaging less than $3 a gallon as the region remains the cheapest to get gas in the state, in some places about 25 cents cents less per gallon than South Florida.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The image that really got me on social media this week was a faded photo of a man and woman, standing on what looks like the front steps of their home.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
16 Jan. 2025
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The Bureau told the story of a spy adrift, working in the shadow of a faded empire.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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