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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

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)

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

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

Light shaking, generally noticeable indoors by many and strong enough to rattle dishes and windows, was felt in Oakland and nearby San Leandro and Alameda.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 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

"You felt the office rattle and you heard the loud noise."

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The gwythaint hissed again, and a long, rasping rattle sounded in its throat.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

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

Aggarwal wasn’t yet convinced he had to bet the business on it, figuring Rattle would endure with just a dollop of AI.

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 would have been a nice place to sing. Bit like singing in a big church or something. The sound rattles around everywhere."

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

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

In the months ahead, he must lay the groundwork for consensus between nearly 200 nations even as the war rattles energy markets, nations scramble for fuel supply and climate change slips down the priority list.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

My brain rattles against the walls of my skull.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

The attack shook global fuel markets, adding to a diesel supply crisis that has rattled economies around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

When £85m summer signing Mateus Fernandes had Spurs' first shot on target after 46 minutes, the stadium rattled to the sound of ironic applause.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

The change, already in force in the United States, has rattled social media experts.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Nearly three years ago, the phenomenon known as “Scandoval” rattled the Bravo TV universe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The note on his pad notwithstanding, Nixon was rattled.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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

“This is Silicon Valley. It’s David and Goliath and the Goliaths protect each other here,” the lawyer says, rattling off companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook and OpenAI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Koffi didn’t open her eyes until she heard the rattling.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• bewilder
• bother
• confound
• confuse
• distract
• disturb
• embarrass
• faze
• frighten
• scare
• shake
• unnerve