scratchy

adjective

ˈskra-chē How to pronounce scratchy (audio)
Definition of scratchynext
1
as in jagged
having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch scratchy shrubbery that's intended to keep kids and pets off the old man's property

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in irritating
causing an unpleasant tingling sensation the wool pants are so scratchy that I can't stand to wear them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound her voice was scratchy from a cold

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 scratchy While some of my linen pieces feel scratchy, this one is ultra soft and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 If a wool sweater or lacey top is too scratchy, it’s getting donated or listed on Depop stat. — Erika Reals, InStyle, 28 June 2026 Madrid’s results under Alonso clouded the reality, there were plenty of scratchy league victories — won more via individualism rather than any inherent tactical structure. — Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 23 June 2026 The often scratchy, historically fascinating recordings are given an audio backdrop of a keyboard/percussion score performed by Shortell. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for scratchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratchy
  1. jagged
  2. irritating
  3. hoarse
  4. thorny
  5. gruff
  6. prickly
  7. husky
Adjective
  • Despite its two-hour-52-minute run time, its pace is absorbing, particularly after the jagged editing of the first hour.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
  • Swaths of land left uncontrolled grew into carpets of invasive buffelgrass nearly right up to the jagged edge between the mountain and the sky.
    — Angus Chen, STAT, 22 July 2026
Definition of jagged
Adjective
  • December 22 – January 19 A small adjustment could make your whole day less irritating.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • The irritating and inflammatory nature of the smog caused hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to become short of breath or to develop symptoms from underlying heart disease.
    — Rebecca Florsheim, STAT, 17 July 2026
Definition of irritating
Adjective
  • The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
    — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
  • Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026
Definition of hoarse
Adjective
  • Ervin for thinking creatively about this thorniest of issues.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • There’s some wisdom in not having a rape threat hover over ten hours of serialized television, and the shift has opened up some thorny connections between Cady and Anna Bowden, whose pasts continue to intersect in intriguing ways.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of thorny
Adjective
  • Matt Damon plays Odysseus as a gruff, practical tactician, rather than an energetically inventive and morally dubious schemer.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • These prickly hairs are for protection, with barbed ends that easily penetrate the skin of predators or your hand.
    — Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • And the host is surprisingly game to poke fun at his own prickly Hollywood reputation, lending the entire hour-long episode a kind of comedy synergy that elevates it above the usual collection of reference jokes.
    — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026
Definition of prickly
Adjective
  • Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The extravagant, hi-NRG single showcased the breadth of Tyler’s husky grandeur, which proved a perfect fit for Giorgio Moroder.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of husky

Browse Nearby Words

scratch pads
scratchy
scrawl
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Cite this Entry

“Scratchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratchy. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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