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Synonyms

ratty

American  
[rat-ee] / ˈræt i /

adjective

rattier, rattiest

  1. full of rats.

  2. of or characteristic of a rat.

  3. wretched; shabby.

    a ratty, old overcoat.

  4. Slang. irritable or angry; bad-tempered; nasty.

    I always feel ratty when I wake up.
ratty British  
/ ˈrætɪ /

adjective

  1. informal irritable; annoyed

  2. informal (of the hair) unkempt or greasy

  3. slang shabby; dilapidated

  4. slang

    1. angry

    2. mad

  5. of, like, or full of rats

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • rattily adverb
  • rattiness noun

Etymology

Origin of ratty

First recorded in 1860–65; rat + -y 1

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.

Reubens can be charming talking about “finding a character” just by putting on a ratty wig, and candid when he admits that Jay Longtoe — his Native American lounge singer character — was racist.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

I know people think it is about his goal - and it was a wonderful strike - but he was all over the place, putting his foot in, making loads of fouls, ratty tackles.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024

After spending the night at an uncharacteristically ratty Holiday Inn Express in Willcox, I took U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

Although most historical accounts date the arrival of brown rats to about 1775, new evidence suggests this ratty rivalry began much earlier.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 4, 2024

Now she was being made to look different from the ratty, thin-faced girl with the permanent sneer and the swift frown, his closest friend.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

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.