scrappy
1 Americanadjective
adjective
-
inclined to fight, argue, or compete; aggressive: Having to defend itself against a giant corporation gave the new company a reputation as a scrappy contender.
Badgers are such scrappy fighters that coyotes will team up with them out of fear of being eaten by them.
Having to defend itself against a giant corporation gave the new company a reputation as a scrappy contender.
-
having or showing spirit and determination, especially in spite of obstacles.
This era formed dozens of legends—strong-willed, scrappy survivors whose faith in their cause was unshakable.
adjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- scrappily adverb
- scrappiness noun
Etymology
Origin of scrappy1
First recorded in 1830–40; scrap 1 + -y 1
Origin of scrappy2
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.
The second half was a scrappy affair until Lynagh's late yellow-card for a deliberate knock-on opened the door for France to finish with aplomb with two tries in the last 10 minutes.
From Barron's
“We don’t have a permit,” cracked host Ego Nwodim, riffing on scrappy independent tactics in her monologue.
From Los Angeles Times
“These lean, scrappy plants are rarely as showy as their ornamental cousins, but when it comes to fragrance, they win every award, hands down,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times
Marseille scored in the opening minutes of each half to book a place in the quarter-finals of the French Cup with a scrappy, at times fractious, 3-0 victory over visiting Rennes on Tuesday.
From Barron's
Bennett Cerf’s Random House went from scrappy startup to publishing giant.
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.
