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• rattle
  rattle

  verb (used without object)

  to give out or cause a rapid succession of short, sharp sounds, as in consequence of agitation and repeated concussions.
• Rattle
  Rattle

  noun

  Sir Simon . born 1955, English conductor. Principal conductor (1980–91) and music director (1991–98) of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 2002

rattle

¹ American  

[rat-l] / ˈræt l /

verb (used without object)

rattled, rattling

1. to give out or cause a rapid succession of short, sharp sounds, as in consequence of agitation and repeated concussions.

   The windows rattled in their frames.

   Synonyms:

   knock, clatter

2. to move or go, especially rapidly, with such sounds.

   The car rattled along the highway.

3. to talk rapidly; chatter.

   He rattled on for an hour about his ailments.

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verb (used with object)

rattled, rattling

1. to cause to rattle.

   He rattled the doorknob violently.

2. to drive, send, bring, etc., especially rapidly, with rattling sounds.

   The wind rattled the metal can across the roadway.

3. to utter or perform in a rapid or lively manner.

   to rattle off a list of complaints.

4. to disconcert or confuse (a person).

   A sudden noise rattled the speaker.

   Synonyms:

   discompose

5. Hunting. to stir up (a cover).

noun

• rattles
  plural

1. a rapid succession of short, sharp sounds, as from the collision of hard bodies.

   Synonyms:

   clatter

2. an instrument contrived to make a rattling sound, especially a baby's toy filled with small pellets that rattle when shaken.

3. the series of horny, interlocking elements at the end of the tail of a rattlesnake, with which it produces a rattling sound.

4. a rattling sound in the throat, as the death rattle.

rattle ² American  

[rat-l] / ˈræt l /

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

rattled, rattling

1. to furnish with ratlines (usually followed bydown ).

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rattle ¹ British  

/ ˈrætəl /

verb

1. to make or cause to make a rapid succession of short sharp sounds, as of loose pellets colliding when shaken in a container

2. to shake or cause to shake with such a sound

   the explosion rattled the windows

3. to send, move, drive, etc, with such a sound

   the car rattled along the country road

4. to chatter idly; talk, esp at length

   he rattled on about his work

5. (tr; foll by off, out etc) to recite perfunctorily or rapidly

6. informal (tr) to disconcert; make frightened or anxious

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noun

1. a rapid succession of short sharp sounds

2. an object, esp a baby's toy, filled with small pellets that rattle when shaken

3. a series of loosely connected horny segments on the tail of a rattlesnake, vibrated to produce a rattling sound

4. any of various European scrophulariaceous plants having a capsule in which the seeds rattle, such as Pedicularis palustris ( red rattle ) and Rhinanthus minor ( yellow rattle )

5. idle chatter

6. an idle chatterer

7. med another name for rale

Rattle ² British  

/ ˈrætəl /

noun

1. Sir Simon . born 1955, English conductor. Principal conductor (1980–91) and music director (1991–98) of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 2002

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rattle ³ British  

/ ˈrætəl /

verb

1. to fit (a vessel or its rigging) with ratlines

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rattles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of rattle¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb rat(t)elen, ratlen, cognate with Dutch ratelen, German rasseln ); of imitative origin

Origin of rattle²

First recorded in 1720–30; back formation from ratling ratline (taken as verbal noun)

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Explanation

To rattle is to make a very rapid, short series of knocking or tapping sounds. You might impatiently rattle the quarters in your pocket as you await your turn at the pinball machine. Ice cubes rattle in your glass of lemonade, and beads rattle in a jar. Something else that rattles is a baby's rattle, a noisy toy that's filled with small balls or pellets. Figuratively, to rattle someone is to upset or irritate them, like the way a sudden thunderstorm might rattle your timid poodle. Experts trace this word back to the Middle Dutch ratelen, which they believe to be imitative since it sounds a bit like a rattle.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rattle Rattle rattles rattled rattling

Tanden can reflexively rattle off the particularities of housing protocols I couldn’t begin to decode; she titters with satisfaction upon recounting the intricacies of a long-discarded Australian cap-and-trade proposal.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

And as a film, it’s a masterpiece that will rattle around your head for days, constantly sparking more affection — and the occasional nightmare.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

The number and variety of plants increased over time, including locally rare species such as southern marsh orchid, greater tussock-sedge, yellow rattle and common centaury.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Light shaking is generally noticeable indoors and strong enough to rattle dishes and windows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The sounds of Papá’s coughing, the rattle of his aspirin bottle, and the rolling of Mamá’s twelve-inch lead pipe as she pressed dough to make tortillas were absent.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

By 2023, though, advancements in generative AI made it clear that Rattle needed to incorporate the new technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

He raised nearly $30 million from investors, and by the following year, his startup, Rattle, was valued at more than $100 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

He was born in Oxford, England, in 1975, and became assistant to Simon Rattle at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at the unheard-of age of 17.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

Upon turning 70 last year, Simon Rattle contended “Missa Solemnis” remains beyond him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

Then came the voice once again, soft and spooky this time, "Rattle my bones," it said.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

It rattles against the hard edges of your brain until it gets polished and smooth.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

The thud of a hammering Hulksmash rattles our seats; later, a cocked rifle is so crisp we perk up like a dog hearing the mailman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

A whistle sounds in the distance, and the ground rattles as the train comes into view, plumes of steam billowing out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

"So, when someone rattles you, knocks you off your game, breaks your focus, you find yourself interrupted, paused, with changing disrupting rhythms."

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Behind me, Mama rattles the lunch tray, setting food down on our small table, so I kiss Papa’s other cheek and take my place.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

News that the otherwise active pope had a cancerous tumour removed from his lung has rattled the Vatican and the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Perched on a low wall alongside friends, 18-year-old Abdel rattled off the problems that drove him to protest in his final year of secondary school in the eastern suburb of Bagnolet.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Stafford was asked this week how he managed to stay calm, not feel rattled and still take shots at clutch plays after committing turnovers in a hostile environment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

"As it launched there was this incredible adrenaline and a shockwave that rattled every bone in your body," said the now 70-year-old of the events of 7 December 1972.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

The slatted steel grille rattled down thunderously and slammed on the sidewalk.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

We’re witnessing the power of pure art, even as Rock cleverly waters down the moment with the sound of an unseen bartender rattling a martini shaker in the background.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Madrid rattling keys and blowing whistles to call for measures to curb rising housing costs and make evictions more difficult.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

That idea has been rattling around my mind after seeing Zach Cregger’s new “Resident Evil,” itself a reboot made in its creator’s image.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Early lines have the Clippers as a deep long shot to win the title, their odds rattling around the ocean floor with the Pelicans, Grizzlies and Kings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Samir rapped on the wooden door harder than he had meant to, rattling the hinges.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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