adjective
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ragged or worn
a tattered old book
-
wearing ragged or torn clothing
tattered refugees
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damaged, defeated, or in disarray
he believes he can bring the tattered party together
Other Word Forms
- untattered adjective
Etymology
Origin of tattered
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He wore a clean suit, tattered at the sleeve and lapel, and his voice had authority in it.
From Literature
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A tattered red book that used to belong to my dad.
From Literature
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A mix of government pensions, food handouts and subsidized housing provides an ever-more tattered safety net.
From Los Angeles Times
She turned just in time to see the tattered sleeve of the thief emerge from her bag, dirty hand clutching her coin purse.
From Literature
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Quentin Lake, the Rams’ defensive captain, could be the catalyst that helps mend the Rams’ tattered secondary ahead of their wild-card showdown with the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.