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
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
Although advertised for both full sun and partial shade, false heather becomes old and ratty-looking after only a few years of overly sunny exposure.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
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
Although advertised for both full sun and partial shade, false heather becomes old and ratty-looking after only a few years of overly sunny exposure.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
-
But these Brown and Black immigrants were usually segregated into dilapidated apartments in the region’s oldest housing stock.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The guy handed Gary some cash and Stewart disappeared into a dilapidated trailer.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But there’s a certain magic in the tattered, the torn, and the un-trashable gear in our closets.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
-
My tattered copy of the book has Ann’s acknowledgements at the front.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rather than get irritable online, Medeiros did something positive about it.—
Dan Medeiros,
The Herald News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Manic episodes are described as prolonged periods of mood instability, in which a person can experience extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively, feel depressed or unusually irritable.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Smith said the legislation could pass in December, during the lame-duck session of Congress that will follow November’s midterm elections, but that the coming days are critical.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Maybe that’s a lame hook, but that, combined with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets them back in their spot.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Though few natural-history buffs realize it, many of them have admired the handiwork of this unusual company, located in the ragged outskirts of Oklahoma City, for decades.—
Jeff Wilson,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Daniel Arnold—whose street work picks up from Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz, but with a ragged edge of comic mayhem—goes wild on one of the show’s large walls.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, compounding pharmacies that sell cheaper knockoffs of these products are disrupting the marketplace.—
CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Mail-only ballot elections are a cheaper, though slightly uncommon, alternative for cities when no candidates are on the ballot, like in the case of the upcoming April 21 election in the City Beautiful, according to Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And today, free tuition could be the PR tonic California needs to brighten its faded image across America.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Lucky Brand nails the baggy, wide-leg aesthetic with these ultra-low jeans that have a faded wash that feels perfect for spring.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
