tattered

adjective

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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about tattered

Keep scrolling for more

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

In Fallin's metaphor, the perfectly good car the teachers already have includes broken desks, four-day weeks, stagnant wages since 2008, and tattered, decades-old textbooks. — Luke Darby, GQ, "Betsy DeVos, Matt Bevin, and the Smarmy Attack on Teachers," 18 Apr. 2018 Salio consulted his tattered notebook of people who left their names with him, calling them out when their turn came. — Washington Post, "Undeterred by Trump, asylum-seekers line up at the border," 8 June 2018 Over the past year, the Afghan Taliban has orchestrated an increasingly destructive insurgency across the war-tattered nation, affronting Afghan Security Forces and U.S troops with almost daily attacks. — Hollie Mckay, Fox News, "Taliban prisoners exploit release loophole with fake medical claims," 12 June 2018 In the months ahead, Michigan State leaders have promised to change policies to prevent future abuse and to begin restoring the university’s tattered reputation. — Mitch Smith, New York Times, "Michigan State’s $500 Million for Nassar Victims Dwarfs Other Settlements," 16 May 2018 Belinelli also has his fingers crossed that Kawhi Leonard will patch up his tattered relationship with the Spurs. — Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, "Belinelli hopes to rekindle magic in second stint with Spurs," 10 July 2018 Officers found him in tattered clothes a block away from the apartment. — Caleb Parke, Fox News, "Chicago ringleader of Facebook Live beating of disabled teen gets 8 years in prison," 6 July 2018 Mason opted for a décolletage-revealing vest and a pair of burgundy leather pants, while Sabbat sported a tattered sleeveless shirt and tight-fitting trousers. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "The 15 Best Fashion Instagrams of the Week: Aquaria Is Always Decadent, Tracee Ellis Ross Shines," 30 June 2018 Although employees kept the store as tidy as possible, the tattered carpet looked like it hadn’t been replaced in ages. — Charisse Jones, USA TODAY, "Sears, Kmart stores ailing as CEO Eddie Lampert's hedge fund gets hundreds of millions," 18 June 2018

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.