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

• ragged
• raggedy
• ragtag
• tatterdemalion

Examples of tattered in a Sentence

a pile of old tattered books

arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted

Recent Examples on the Web

Dressed in tattered robes, Lewis entertains not only by illuminating but also via his signature sassy phrases that originally captured the adoration of fans. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 23 July 2024

Amalie fell asleep with the tattered edge of her old security blanket gripped in her hand. —Sarah Braunstein, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024

Already, our editors have taken advantage of Early Amazon Prime Day deals to restock their old and tattered collections. —Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 16 July 2024

Two hours after the attack, Abu Awad sat on a tattered couch outside the building where Judeh lived in Turmus Ayya. —Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

tattered

adjective

tat·​tered ˈtat-ərd 

1

: wearing ragged clothes

a tattered barefoot child

2

: torn in shreds : ragged

a tattered flag