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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ratty
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
One of those is a comfy pair of slippers, but not the ratty old ones that hang out by your bedside.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
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
One of those is a comfy pair of slippers, but not the ratty old ones that hang out by your bedside.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratty
Adjective
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Forgetting Derry’s communal traumas is as much a part of the town’s firmament as the scenic canals, the nearby Air Force base where Charlotte’s hubby Leroy (Jovan Adepo) has been newly posted, and the dilapidated house at 29 Neibolt Street.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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The dilapidated wooden trim and sagging porticos were spruced up a few years ago after preservationists complained to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the upstairs windows reveal glimpses of peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and collapsing ceilings inside.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
By the end of the summer my catalogs were tattered and worn.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
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The archangel of trendy-casual walkaroundfits (new word, please spread around) just stepped out in hip-hugging bootcut jeans, a loose and intentionally tattered white T-shirt, a gold pendant necklace, and dark sunglasses, an easy all-American look for a morning on the go.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Emery was irritable at full time.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Additionally, Owens’ youngest child, Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was confused, irritable and inconsolable in the weeks after her death, Dias shared.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
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Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Dull blades leave behind ragged leaf tips, which are quick entry points for turf diseases.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
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Her once ragged fur transformed.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But cattle producers say importing cheaper beef abroad could threaten domestic agriculture in the long run.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
23 Oct. 2025
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Gripen fighters have the reputation of being relatively cheap and easy to maintain and arm, and able to operate in austere conditions – using roads or even dirt roads for runways.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Her long blond ends drew a stark contrast to her faded brown roots, which were parted down the middle and brushed up in the back.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
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The faded colors and distressed pattern give the rug an always-been-here feel and lend a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to the space.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratty. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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