scratchy

adjective \ ˈskra-chē \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of scratchy

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

play \ˈskra-chə-lē\ adverb

—

scratchiness

play \ˈskra-chē-nəs\ noun

See scratchy defined for English-language learners

See scratchy defined for kids

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 of scratchy from the Web

Her voice is pleasingly scratchy, with a low hum underneath—the auditory equivalent of a palliative scalp massage.

— caity weaver, GQ, "There's Something Funny About Tiffany Haddish," 26 Mar. 2018
The drill court of the Armory is huge, like a giant airplane hangar with a walkway circling the second tier where a DJ spun scratchy remixes of good songs over bad speakers.

— beth spotswood, San Francisco Chronicle, "Overly branded brunch leaves some diners cold," 27 Mar. 2018
This approach is not appreciated by his boyfriend, Louis Ironson (a terrific James McArdle, who wears his character’s guilt like a scratchy straitjacket), a legal clerk prone to endless bloviation on morality and justice.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: An ‘Angels in America’ That Soars on the Breath of Life," 25 Mar. 2018
From schlepping your luggage through the airport to scratchy hotel sheets, staying cozy isn’t the easiest feat.

— michaela bechler, Vogue, "Two Constant Travelers Share Their Tips for Keeping Cozy on the Road," 13 Mar. 2018
He can be heard on the scratchy recordings asking Fonzi about the veracity of rumors that de Mohrenschildt had been killed earlier that day.

— edward jay epstein, Newsweek, "O'Reilly's JFK Reporting Was Impossible. I Know Because I Was There," 9 Mar. 2015
Still, a couple of weeks ago, his throat started to feel scratchy.

— andrew marso, kansascity, "'Devastated and scared': Here's a glimpse at what flu victims have endured | The Kansas City Star," 3 Mar. 2018
That decision was taken to improve Poland’s scratchy relations with its European partners; the suave, English-speaking Mr Morawiecki is seen as a more convincing exponent of his boss’s views.

— The Economist, "CharlemagnePower does not always lie where you might expect in Europe," 1 Mar. 2018
In scratchy pen-and-ink and watercolors, spacious landscapes capture both grandeur and peril.

— susan faust, San Francisco Chronicle, "Roundup of children’s books," 24 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scratchy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of scratchy

1827

scratchy Synonyms

SCRATCHY Defined for English Language Learners

scratchy

adjective

Definition of scratchy for English Language Learners

: having a rough sound : having a sound like the sound made when something sharp or rough rubs against a surface or object
: rough and irritating to the skin : likely to make you itch
: swollen and sore