tattered

adjective

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tat·tered | \ ˈta-tərd

Definition of tattered

1 : torn into shreds : ragged a tattered flag

2a : 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

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Examples of tattered in a Sentence

a pile of old tattered books arrived at the refugee camp tattered and exhausted

Recent Examples on the Web The space is otherwise spare: a shelf with a display of tattered books, a sepia-toned globe, a rug, a large desk (made of thick glass, the set’s one concession to cable). — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 July 2021 The result is a museum that makes a strong case for finding beauty in everyday objects, from safety pins to tattered matchbooks and keys. — Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2021 At least in the short term, Lapid, a centrist, will be Israel's point man on repairs to the tattered relationship with Biden and the Democrats. — Laurie Kellman, USA TODAY, 28 June 2021 At least in the short term, Lapid, a centrist, will be Israel’s point man on repairs to the tattered relationship with Biden and the Democrats. — BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2021 At least in the short term, Lapid, a centrist, will be Israel's point man on repairs to the tattered relationship with Biden and the Democrats. — Laurie Kellman, Star Tribune, 27 June 2021 Not a ghost, exactly, just a bit of tattered cloth, a handful of teeth, and a single, sleepy eye floating in the dark. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 June 2021 Books, including a thesaurus so tattered from use that back when there were regular tours of the newsroom, the tour guide would show it to visitors. — Karina Bland, The Arizona Republic, 23 June 2021 The tattered work, made in the wake of the Great War and the ongoing deadly ruin of influenza, is a monumental avowal of artistic freedom in rebuilding. — Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2021

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