1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
some ratty old magazines were the only reading material in the mountaintop cabin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
can I use this ratty old T-shirt to wipe up some paint?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
I get pretty ratty after hours of dealing with demanding customers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a ratty way to treat an old friend who's fallen on hard times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ratty
Another volunteer who also wants in, Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), is a bedraggled punk wearing a ratty princess costume for reasons also to be disclosed.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Feb. 2026
Take ratty old towels to the animal shelter and offer kitchen supplies to the homeless shelter.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
Thompson’s Anna Andrews initially appears as a frantic figure in a ratty hoodie, chugging wine from the bottle and rustling around an Atlanta apartment that is in an alarming state of disarray.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Sure, Angie did say it, but the phrase was about, and wouldn’t exist without, Britani and her ratty updo.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Feb. 2026
Take ratty old towels to the animal shelter and offer kitchen supplies to the homeless shelter.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
Thompson’s Anna Andrews initially appears as a frantic figure in a ratty hoodie, chugging wine from the bottle and rustling around an Atlanta apartment that is in an alarming state of disarray.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Sure, Angie did say it, but the phrase was about, and wouldn’t exist without, Britani and her ratty updo.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
-
The Reflecting Pool has been a pet project of the president, who, before renovations got underway this spring, characterized it as dilapidated and dirty and said previous presidents had neglected it.
-
Unable to pay rent, the boys moved several hours away to the small, dilapidated house with the leaky roof where rent is minimal.
Adjective
-
One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.
-
The look was created from tattered bootleg championship shirts in blue, white and orange, which were sourced from vendors in NYC this week.
Adjective
-
Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
-
They can be withdrawn or irritable.
Adjective
-
On paper, some of the six, all of whom are far-right conservatives, have enviable educational backgrounds, but the record has proven that each one is openly political and willing to rubber-stamp nearly all of DeSantis’ lame and unconstitutional policies.
-
In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan.
Adjective
-
Underdog startups and neglected divisions tell similar stories.
-
Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.
Adjective
-
His hushed, ragged whisper feels suitably weathered, fitting a collection of songs that never are in a hurry.
-
Slugs and snails are some of the peskiest garden visitors that can riddle plant leaves with ragged holes or chew tender crops like lettuce down to nubs overnight.
Adjective
-
The pricier piece is often the cheaper one to own.
-
That marks a shift from an older data-center playbook built around cheap land, fiber access and tax incentives, with power planning often becoming a constraint later in the process.
Adjective
-
Directed by Son Jae-gon and starring Gang Dong-won, Uhm Tae-goo, and Park Ji-hyun, the film tracks a faded first-generation K-pop co-ed dance trio making a reckless attempt to stage a comeback two decades after a plagiarism scandal dissolved their careers.
-
The one difference was a new layer of red bricks over the faded previous layer.
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
