tattered

adjective

tat·​tered ˈta-tərd 

1

: torn into shreds : ragged

a tattered flag

2

a

: broken down : dilapidated

… decaying houses along tattered paved streets.

—P. B. Martin

b

: being in a shattered condition

led their tattered party to victory

3

: wearing ragged clothes

a tattered barefoot boy

Synonyms of tattered

• ragged

Examples of tattered in a Sentence

a pile of old tattered books

arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted

Recent Examples on the Web

The look was created from tattered bootleg championship shirts in blue, white and orange, which were sourced from vendors in NYC this week. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 18 June 2026

Their vibrant appendages become tattered and dull. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026

Nichols organized a day where 26 volunteers came together to replace American tattered and torn flags with brand new ones, including David and Sue Hornbrook's torn flag. —Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 15 June 2026

Worn Washcloths or Towels Go through all your linens in the bathroom, and discard any that are old, stained, tattered, or smell weird. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tattered

• backscattered
• battered
• chattered
• clattered
• flattered
• mattered
• pattered
• scattered
• shattered
• spattered
• splattered

Kids Definition

tattered

adjective

tat·​tered ˈtat-ərd 

1

: wearing ragged clothes

a tattered barefoot child

2

: torn in shreds : ragged

a tattered flag