1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
one of those tatterdemalion towns of the rust belt where the factories closed down decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
wearing torn or worn-out clothes
an ill-equipped, tatterdemalion army
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tatterdemalion
Overhanging his outer compound wall were the only two remaining shade trees in the citadel, one a dying oak, the other a mulberry tree, and within the compound was a tatterdemalion garden, where a scrawny pomegranate tree drooped with heavy fruit.
—
Rod Nordland, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Rod Nordland, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatterdemalion
Adjective
-
Now, charred and dilapidated buildings dot the small city center.—
NPR,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
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Opening in a dilapidated house in Montana, Ramsay drops us in 'possibility', somewhere anything could happen.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 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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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
-
Her once ragged fur transformed.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tatterdemalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatterdemalion. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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