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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ratty
Chicago has developed a reputation as one of America’s rattiest cities, with one pest control company ranking it first for the last nine years.
—
Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Last year, Los Angeles was the second rattiest city in the United States, according to a report by pest control company Orkin.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Despite the occasional frozen screen glitches and folks joining calls in their ratty pajamas, there are upsides.
—John Daley, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
In 2024, Los Angeles was the second rattiest city in America, according to a report by pest control company Orkin.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Last year, Los Angeles was the second rattiest city in the United States, according to a report by pest control company Orkin.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Despite the occasional frozen screen glitches and folks joining calls in their ratty pajamas, there are upsides.
—John Daley, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
In 2024, Los Angeles was the second rattiest city in America, according to a report by pest control company Orkin.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
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Now, charred and dilapidated buildings dot the small city center.—
NPR,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
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Opening in a dilapidated house in Montana, Ramsay drops us in 'possibility', somewhere anything could happen.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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By the end of the summer my catalogs were tattered and worn.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
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The archangel of trendy-casual walkaroundfits (new word, please spread around) just stepped out in hip-hugging bootcut jeans, a loose and intentionally tattered white T-shirt, a gold pendant necklace, and dark sunglasses, an easy all-American look for a morning on the go.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
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Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those plans were later abandoned during the pandemic and the house joined Denver’s neglected and derelict building list in 2024.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
8 Oct. 2025
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Dull blades leave behind ragged leaf tips, which are quick entry points for turf diseases.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
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Her once ragged fur transformed.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With the shutdown, people who would've come in to shop are opting to stay home or do something cheaper, according to him.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Oct. 2025
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For decades, candy corn was thought of as a cheap, year-round candy all children could enjoy.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Scherzinger’s only familiarity with the material was Billy Wilder’s 1950 film, which starred Gloria Swanson as a faded beauty of the silent era hell-bent on a return to relevance.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
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Her long blond ends drew a stark contrast to her faded brown roots, which were parted down the middle and brushed up in the back.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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