clatter

verb

clat·​ter ˈkla-tər 

clattered; clattering; clatters

intransitive verb

1

: to make a rattling sound

the dishes clattered on the shelf

2

: to talk noisily or rapidly

3

: to move or go with a clatter

clattered down the stairs

transitive verb

: to cause to clatter

clatterer

ˈkla-tər-ər 

noun

clatteringly

ˈkla-tə-riŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of clatter

• rattle
• clack

Examples of clatter in a Sentence

The shutters clattered against the house.

He heard dishes clattering in the kitchen.

The box dropped and dozens of marbles clattered across the floor.

The wagon clattered down the road.

Recent Examples on the Web

Below them, clattering on a dozen parallel tracks, the trains were coming and going, arriving and departing, thundering underground. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Skeletor is all pixels with a clattering jaw perfect for chewing the scenery. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

The sound of chopping and plates clattering echoes through the open room, where conversation builds into a steady hum that fills every corner. —Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

There have been a dozen political crises in Britain in the past decade, when Prime Ministers have fallen, elections have been called, and helicopters clattered overhead. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English clatren, from Old English *clatrian; of imitative origin

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for clatter

• atter
• batter
• blatter
• catarrh
• chatter
• fatter
• flatter
• hatter
• latter
• matter
• natter
• patter

Kids Definition

clatter

1 of 2 verb

clat·​ter ˈklat-ər 

1

: to make or cause to make a rattling sound

2

: to move with a clatter

clatterer

-ər-ər 

noun

clatteringly

ˈklat-ə-riŋ-lē 

adverb

clatter

2 of 2 noun

1

: a rattling sound (as of hard objects striking together)

the clatter of pots and pans

2

: commotion sense 2

3

: noisy chatter

clattery

ˈklat-ə-rē 

adjective