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.
to move or go, especially rapidly, with such sounds.
The car rattled along the highway.
to talk rapidly; chatter.
He rattled on for an hour about his ailments.
to cause to rattle.
He rattled the doorknob violently.
to drive, send, bring, etc., especially rapidly, with rattling sounds.
The wind rattled the metal can across the roadway.
to utter or perform in a rapid or lively manner.
to rattle off a list of complaints.
to disconcert or confuse (a person).
A sudden noise rattled the speaker.
Hunting. to stir up (a cover).
a rapid succession of short, sharp sounds, as from the collision of hard bodies.
an instrument contrived to make a rattling sound, especially a baby's toy filled with small pellets that rattle when shaken.
the series of horny, interlocking elements at the end of the tail of a rattlesnake, with which it produces a rattling sound.
a rattling sound in the throat, as the death rattle.
to make or cause to make a rapid succession of short sharp sounds, as of loose pellets colliding when shaken in a container
to shake or cause to shake with such a sound
the explosion rattled the windows
to send, move, drive, etc, with such a sound
the car rattled along the country road
to chatter idly; talk, esp at length
he rattled on about his work
(tr; foll by off, out etc) to recite perfunctorily or rapidly
informal (tr) to disconcert; make frightened or anxious
a rapid succession of short sharp sounds
an object, esp a baby's toy, filled with small pellets that rattle when shaken
a series of loosely connected horny segments on the tail of a rattlesnake, vibrated to produce a rattling sound
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 )
idle chatter
an idle chatterer
med another name for rale
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb rat(t)elen, ratlen, cognate with Dutch ratelen, German rasseln ); of imitative origin
First recorded in 1720–30; back formation from ratling ratline (taken as verbal noun)
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while risks of “renewed flare-ups” and headlines that could rattle investors, those dips should still be bought.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Aftershocks continued to rattle the country into Sunday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
That’s a headache for many companies but unlikely to rattle the market, which is coming to terms with the view that tariffs are here to stay—but with some guardrails.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
“It’s hard not to see this as, like, the final death rattle of an era.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
It put an odd rattle in his voice.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
The city has previously awarded the symbolic title to conductor Sir Simon Rattle and pioneering sailor Lisa Clayton.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2025
A group of prominent musicians, including the conductor Simon Rattle, the pianist Martha Argerich and the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter published a statement on Thursday condemning the hall, saying it was capitulating to protesters.
From New York Times ● May 16, 2024
Adams was just back in town after the London premiere of his latest wild and wildly engaging symphonic score, “Frenzy,” conducted by Simon Rattle with the London Symphony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
Howard may not have much dialogue compared to the "Death Rattle Dazzle" cast, but he's always standing close to the action or stoically enduring Oliver's swipes.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2023
He used it for five years and sold it to an insurance man named Rattle.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Graham's death comes as the weeks-long hospitalization of former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell rattles the party.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
His alarm clock, a big and bulky machine that’s Bluetooth-connected to the house’s fire alarm, rattles his room until he finally shuts it off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Oil, gas, fertiliser and gold imports are pushing up demand for dollars just as foreign investment inflows weaken, exports slow down and geopolitical uncertainty rattles markets.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
The thought of garnishing wages from seniors on fixed incomes particularly rattles Pressley.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
He tips his hat at her, climbs up into his tractor, and rattles off.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Those inflation concerns dovetail with another factor that Lee thinks has rattled the market in recent sessions: the possibility of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates on Wednesday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
For several months now, stocks linked to the sector have been regularly rattled by such fears.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
She recalled getting emotional and "a bit rattled" as the evening approached.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The workers, deeply rattled but physically unharmed, have been returned to their families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Her insides still rattled, and stunned, she barely registered that she was being half carried, half pulled.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Another resident said aftershocks were still rattling the city hours after the initial tremor.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
But the US leader expressed hope that renewed diplomacy could bring an end to the war that began in late February with a wave of US-Israeli strikes, rattling both the region and the global economy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
But a new spate of strikes by Washington and Tehran in recent days is rattling that outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Video of these rattling sets, juxtaposed against Pop-A-Shot games, swiftly made the rounds on social media.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
The old woman was still not looking at her, and finally Koffi saw where the rattling had come from.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
