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
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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?
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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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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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In this way, abandoned and often dilapidated homes are saved and renovated rather than being left to further deteriorate or be torn down.—
Eric Adler
December 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 Dec. 2025
-
To find her, Luis becomes embedded with an outlaw band of ravers, who cross the Moroccan desert in huge, dilapidated trucks.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Nearly every panel of the shoe is tattered and torn, including a heel seam that’s coming undone and reveals the inner cork components of the shoe.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
30 Oct. 2025
-
By the end of the summer my catalogs were tattered and worn.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
The flowers are the best, even if the leaves are lame and flop over.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Few sights are as heart-wrenching as a neglected animal in need.—
Allison Moses,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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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
Adjective
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My breath is nervous and ragged but my will determined.—
Vanita Salisbury,
AFAR Media,
6 Nov. 2025
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The result is a ragged primal scream of a film — not a cry for help, but rather, a bellow of maternal rage.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have designed a new sodium-sulfur battery with higher power density and discharge capacity than before, enabling a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Characterized by their faded or worn-out effect, as if their original color had been lightened by washing, these beloved jeans stand out for their vintage and carefree air.—
Mayte Salido,
Glamour,
4 Jan. 2026
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The styling trick works even with an outfit that leans as grunge as this, with ballooning black cargo pants, a muted flannel, and a faded black tee.—
Alyssa Rotunno,
InStyle,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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