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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Unable to pay rent, the boys moved several hours away to the small, dilapidated house with the leaky roof where rent is minimal.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
18 June 2026
-
Buck Island offered to sell the dilapidated unit to Brown for $1,000, funded partially with her security deposit.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Their vibrant appendages become tattered and dull.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
-
Nichols organized a day where 26 volunteers came together to replace American tattered and torn flags with brand new ones, including David and Sue Hornbrook's torn flag.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
They can be withdrawn or irritable.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
While Hockney worked, Auden, as the artist recalled, played the part of the impatient, irritable grump.—
Mark Rozzo,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
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.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
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At supper the guides exchanged significant glances across the fire and acted like a couple of guys who have picked a lame horse.—
Fred Bear,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Underdog startups and neglected divisions tell similar stories.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2026
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Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
-
But the work was running him ragged.—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The pricier piece is often the cheaper one to own.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
-
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.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Police say that the suspect's vehicle has a faded convertible top, no rear window, chrome-and-red European-style taillights and chrome rims.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Next to a limp rack of sleeveless tops stands a postapocalyptic forager-warrior mannequin in jeans, a faded plaid shirt, and a black baseball cap from the plus-size-women’s brand Torrid.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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