tattered 1 of 2

adjective

ˈta-tərd How to pronounce tattered (audio)
Definition of tatterednext
1
as in ragged
wearing torn or worn-out clothes arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faded
worn or torn into or as if into rags a hobo in tattered old clothes and worn-out shoes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tattered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tatter
as in ripped
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it the little boy tattered that blanket beyond repair by repeatedly yanking on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tattered
Adjective
The tattered cypresses and long-needle pines damp out the shine of her tracksuit, closing swiftly around dog and girl. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 For weeks, migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta had gathered on a beach away from the city center, sleeping on cardboard sheets, under reed huts and guarding their few possessions in tattered plastic bags. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The ferocious character also features shaggy black-and-orange hair that matches his tattered pants, and a large necklace adorned with teeth. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tattered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tattered
  1. ragged
  2. faded
  3. ripped
  4. frayed
  5. tore
  6. shredded
Adjective
  • On his second lap at Monza, Antonelli went past the ragged edge.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • While a commercial transatlantic flight would have left me feeling tired and ragged, my body barely registered the six-hour journey.
    — Debra Kamin, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of ragged
Adjective
  • Investigators described him as a white male in his late 50s, with a scruffy, gray beard who was wearing a faded blue baseball cap.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The landscape flowed in ridges and mountains of faded yellow and whisper pink, where welwitschia–large, low-lying plants that live to be hundreds of years old–sprawled like relics from a Dune film set.
    — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of faded
Verb
  • Old walls that once separated the exam rooms have been ripped down, leaving a large open space.
    — Noelle Alviz-Gransee Updated November 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Roughly two months after fire ripped through Newhall’s historic downtown, four people are under arrest, accused of arson and conspiracy in the devastating blaze.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of ripped
Adjective
  • Each begins with drums pounding out a rhythm, often featuring a teetering syncopation, while more voices add their own frayed melodies.
    — Vanessa Ague, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Joining her husband and daughters at the Chicago event, Michelle paired a frayed single-breasted striped blazer with a matching pencil skirt, a strapless white top, and two buns.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of frayed
Verb
  • After the Norte fire tore through 570 acres across south Orange County, destroying many homes, everybody needed this.
    — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Haliburton tore his Achilles during Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City in June 2025 and missed the entire 2025-26 season.
    — Peter Finney Jr, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of tore
Verb
  • The crash, which occurred in a flat stretch surrounded by olive fields in between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, left carriages shredded into bits of metal and other material, scattering debris down a gravel slope.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than being pulled or shredded, the pork is quartered, its skin rendered crisp in the oven throughout the day, and then chopped to order by weight and dressed with a South Carolina-style vinegar sauce.
    — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of shredded

Browse Nearby Words

tatterdemalion
tattered
tattering
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Cite this Entry

“Tattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tattered. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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