1
as in ragged
wearing torn or worn-out clothes
arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faded
worn or torn into or as if into rags
a hobo in tattered old clothes and worn-out shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ripped
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the little boy tattered that blanket beyond repair by repeatedly yanking on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 tattered
Greg Borowski, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
Shane Colombo’s father, Ernesto, brought a tattered file of paperwork to each day of the court proceedings.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2024
With rescue and cleanup efforts still front of mind in the Tampa Bay region, the city of St. Petersburg is a long way from making any decisions on how to fix the tattered stadium, officials said Friday.
—NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
Already, our editors have taken advantage of Early Amazon Prime Day deals to restock their old and tattered collections.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tattered 
Adjective
McArdle looked down and felt a surge of sadness: The man was sleeping on several layers of cardboard, his head resting on a backpack, a tattered book slipped beneath it.
—Greg Borowski, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
Shane Colombo’s father, Ernesto, brought a tattered file of paperwork to each day of the court proceedings.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2024
With rescue and cleanup efforts still front of mind in the Tampa Bay region, the city of St. Petersburg is a long way from making any decisions on how to fix the tattered stadium, officials said Friday.
—NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
Already, our editors have taken advantage of Early Amazon Prime Day deals to restock their old and tattered collections.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tattered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tattered
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
Adjective
-
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
-
Groom indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers and declining portions.—
Tom MacCubbin,
Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
But the Hawks’ present-day problems ripped them right back into the here and now.—
Phil Thompson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2025
-
Milton’s hurricane-force winds ripped trees from already soggy soils, but its historic rain also flooded neighborhoods that had never experienced waters so high.—
Jack Prator,
Orlando Sentinel,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The Carolina Panthers’ outside linebacker tore his quad on Christmas Eve last year in what turned out to be his final game with the Minnesota Vikings.—
Joseph Person,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
-
In its first game without Sixth Man of the Year candidate Moe Wagner, who tore the ACL in his left knee on Saturday, Orlando relied on a wide variety of scorers, with five finishing in double figures.—
Jason Beede,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Later Cardini shredded the leaves into bite-sized pieces.—
John Mariani,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
-
One vice that Simpson shredded in 2020 was her battle with alcohol.—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
21 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to tattered
Thesaurus Entries Near tattered
Cite this Entry
“Tattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tattered. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share