scratchy

adjective

ˈskra-chē 

scratchier; scratchiest

1

: marked or made with scratches

scratchy drawing

scratchy handwriting

2

: likely to scratch : prickly

scratchy undergrowth

3

: making a scratching noise

4

: uneven in quality : ragged

5

: causing tingling or itching : irritating

scratchy wool

6

: somewhat inflamed and sore

a scratchy throat

scratchily

ˈskra-chə-lē 

adverb

scratchiness

ˈskra-chē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of scratchy

• jagged
• thorny
• prickly

Examples of scratchy in a Sentence

listening to scratchy old records

The costume is made from scratchy material.

He is sick with a scratchy throat.

Recent Examples on the Web

The powder never gets scratchy or weird, and the musk in the base is subtle but present. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 21 Nov. 2025

What McCarthy did in stark, elegiac prose, Larcenet does with kinetic, scratchy images. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

Lower temperatures prevent over-drying that can damage fibers, leaving them scratchy. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Nov. 2025

When the air turns crisp in fall and winter, the dryness indoors can sneak up on you — and so can flaky skin, a scratchy throat, and stuffy sinuses (not to mention allergens). —Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for scratchy

• catchy
• patchy
• apache
• malachi

Kids Definition

scratchy

adjective

ˈskrach-ē 

scratchier; scratchiest

1

: likely to scratch or make sore or raw : prickly

scratchy woolens

2

: making a scratching noise

3

: marked or made with scratches

a scratchy surface

scratchy handwriting

4

: uneven in quality : ragged

played a scratchy game of golf

5

: somewhat sore

a scratchy throat

scratchiness noun