1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
one of those tatterdemalion towns of the rust belt where the factories closed down decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
wearing torn or worn-out clothes
an ill-equipped, tatterdemalion army
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of tatterdemalion
Overhanging his outer compound wall were the only two remaining shade trees in the citadel, one a dying oak, the other a mulberry tree, and within the compound was a tatterdemalion garden, where a scrawny pomegranate tree drooped with heavy fruit.
—
Rod Nordland, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Rod Nordland, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatterdemalion
Adjective
-
The hotel is founded and managed by locals, who transformed a dilapidated bed-and-breakfast into a six-acre luxury hotel in 2001.—
Maya Kachroo-Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Feb. 2025
-
They were forced to live in dilapidated buildings with mold, sewage, and rodent issues, and were confined to their rooms for weeks on end.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
But the tattered state of the alliance system is not Trump’s doing alone.—
Mira Rapp-Hooper,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2020
Adjective
-
This was to help end the puppy mill industry, where dogs are bred en masse, leading them to be born and raised in filthy and neglected conditions.—
Andrew Sheeler,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Feb. 2025
-
If coordinated correctly, Trump’s tariff threats offer an enormous opportunity for America’s neglected waterfront.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Is there something about the needy Anja and her ragged child that the barren Isabell responds to?—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Helena reached the microlight, adjusted her ponytail, and then climbed into the back seat, as the birds flew in ragged circles nearby.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to tatterdemalion
Cite this Entry
“Tatterdemalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatterdemalion. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share