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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

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 bet from Paraguay—and potentially any other opponent hoping to rattle Les Bleus—was that the French players would lose their heads eventually.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Aftershocks continued to rattle the country into Sunday morning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Just then, I hear the rattle of someone coming up the ladder.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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

Harvey has so many bangles that she rattles as she walks.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 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

Frederick presses a button and something high in the building rattles and Werner whispers, “You have an elevator?”

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

The vacillation in Treasurys following the government’s pledge to suppress longer-duration yields have rattled stock investors, too.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

The move will also have rattled the likes of Taiwan and Japan, which have long relied on US security guarantees in the region.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

It then rattled off examples including Chan’s opposition to Wiener’s state law to streamline housing projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Elon Musk’s rocket company beat Wall Street expectations last night but rattled investors by disclosing plans for massive AI spending.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

But what rattled her most was the quiet.

From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis

She’ll complain about me needing to find a secretary before rattling off the results, links to Slate articles and a recent award.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Market uncertainty about Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s commitment to tackling inflation has also caused tremors, pushing up long-term borrowing costs to 19-year highs and rattling stocks along the way.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

A string of aftershocks have shaken the area since the initial quake, further rattling locals in stifling summer temperatures, forecast to hit at least 35C later in the day and a heatstroke warning issued.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Another resident said aftershocks were still rattling the city hours after the initial tremor.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The first axe-blow sent splinters of ice rattling into the chasm.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

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