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?
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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
According to Orkin, the pest control service, New York has been ranked as the third rattiest city in the country behind Los Angeles and Chicago.
—
Sarah Baniak, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025
New York, arguably the most famous ratty city (with its very own rat celebrities), recently required that most city trash be placed in containers with secure lids, not in plastic bags on the street.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 31 Jan. 2025
Even among the rattiest cities identified in the study, Washington, DC, stood out.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
What our gifter says: This is the perfect upgrade for the grandad who’s been carrying the same ratty wallet since the ’90s.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Sarah Baniak, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025
New York, arguably the most famous ratty city (with its very own rat celebrities), recently required that most city trash be placed in containers with secure lids, not in plastic bags on the street.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 31 Jan. 2025
Even among the rattiest cities identified in the study, Washington, DC, stood out.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
What our gifter says: This is the perfect upgrade for the grandad who’s been carrying the same ratty wallet since the ’90s.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
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On the show Hill would buy dilapidated homes, fix them up and sell them for a profit.—
Jennifer Sangalang,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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The manager of a dilapidated building called the Workers’ Cultural Palace gives a speech about his plans for the space.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Its tattered and faded copy of the Magna Carta is worth millions of dollars, Carpenter estimated—though Harvard has no plans to sell it.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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The bottom half of the dog's body stayed pinned underneath a tattered couch on a pile of trash as flies circled him.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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It is believed to reduce pain and inflammation, and has been used for treatment of back pain, high blood pressure, arthritis, migraines, and irritable bowel disease.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
4 Apr. 2025
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And even in what was a stilted match played in an increasingly irritable atmosphere, Rogers and Tielemans delivered with an assist each.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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But the area where these cuts will be felt most acutely is with respect to elder abuse, which is already a neglected area of health care and social services.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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By upcycling a neglected garment, Hirsch hopes to give someone the chance to experience the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into creating a piece.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The square of white cloth was about to be sewn into a bigger pieces displaying political messages, but the ragged edges didn't neatly line up with the other pieces.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
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Musk: Tesla not on ‘ragged edge of death’ Musk dismisses the idea that the company is in any serious financial distress.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Three or four people to one cabin was far cheaper than the same number of people booking three or four plane tickets to get to Spain.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Once delivered, framing and panel assembly are faster and cheaper than conventional builds—cutting structural build time by 40% and labor costs by 20%.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Offering a 23% concentration of pure vitamin C, this formula delivers some serious brightening benefits, resulting in a more even-looking complexion and faded hyperpigmentation.—
Denise Primbet,
Glamour,
28 Apr. 2025
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Everything below that will be flooded, according to IPCC predictions, so his maps show those areas as underwater, with what’s land today shown as a faded layer.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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