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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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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But Spencer said replacing old, dilapidated buildings with newer ones could also put the district in a better position to compete with charter schools.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
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That made staying in Oakland untenable for the franchise, which played its final season in the dilapidated stadium last year.—
W.G. Ramirez,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Set in the year 3333 on a desolate alien world, players take on the role of the Swordsman, a somewhat blank slate character with minimalist features clad in a tattered cloak.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
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And then, in close-up, a bulldozer turns over rubble, and a family photograph is glimpsed in the debris, a tattered symbol of what has been lost.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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But a new wrench is thrown into the works in the form of an irritable downstairs neighbor.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 June 2025
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And getting swept at home by a losing club, the Miami Marlins, would make anyone a tad irritable and hypersensitive.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
26 June 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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What’s a neglected part of your ME—your health, learning, or joy?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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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
Adjective
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Slug and earwig damage often looks similar because these pests both chew ragged holes in plant leaves and do most of their feeding after dark.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
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In any case, SpongeBob becomes more and more ragged as the days go by and Patrick fails to share the parental load.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Bellini noted that hacking operations are much cheaper than bullets, planes or nuclear arms -- what defense analysts call kinetic warfare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
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Introductory pricing: Spectrum’s most affordable plan is much cheaper than AT&T's, at$30 a month compared to AT&T’s $55 a month for 100 and 300 Mbps download speeds,respectively.—
Kara McGinley,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Staining not only revives faded wood but also helps protect it from sun, moisture and insects.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
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Select a faded flower and follow the stem down, cutting it 12 inches or more below the bloom, deep into the plant to encourage more long stems.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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