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

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

There was a phone book, camera film canisters, metal pins, the tattered remains of a baseball cap and an orange t-shirt with the outline of a giant thumbs up. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026

One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage. — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026

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

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