tattered

adjective

tat·​tered ˈta-tərd 

1

: torn into shreds : ragged

a tattered flag

2

a

: 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 of tattered

• ragged

Examples of tattered in a Sentence

a pile of old tattered books

arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted

Recent Examples on the Web

The History of Jezebel Sauce The sauce started appearing in community cookbooks along the Gulf Coast in the 1950s and can still be found in the tattered pages of favorite old-fashioned renditions such as The Gulf Gourmet by the Westminster Academy Mothers Club of Gulfport, Mississippi. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025

There’s a magic, a sacredness to the mountain, even under its layered grief and tattered prayer flags. —Corey Buhay, Outside, 18 Dec. 2025

This could be a tattered sofa, a wobbly table, or a too-small area rug. —Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025

The midi-length dress featured a slit on one side and a tattered, frayed detailing at the hem, which gave the dress a vintage and romantic appeal. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tattered

• backscattered
• battered
• chattered
• clattered
• flattered
• mattered
• pattered
• scattered
• shattered
• spattered
• splattered

Kids Definition

tattered

adjective

tat·​tered ˈtat-ərd 

1

: wearing ragged clothes

a tattered barefoot child

2

: torn in shreds : ragged

a tattered flag