scrappy
1 Americanadjective
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scrappier,
comparative
-
scrappiest
superlative
adjective
-
scrappier,
comparative
-
scrappiest
superlative
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
Their scrappy determination helped convince family members, neighbors and eventually the rest of the country that the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty and equality applied to same-sex couples.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026
The L.A. dance scene is known for being scrappy, but the latest closures make every moment in the studio and on stage even more precarious.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
His scrappy, mostly lost first feature, “Firelight,” was about pursuing alien life to prove that the impossible is very much possible.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
They shot it quickly and for just more than $1 million—it was rough and scrappy filmmaking, handheld cameras and insufficient permits and permissions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
He showed his credentials and, though a few eyebrows were raised, only minutes later the scrappy fourteen-year- old was escorted out of class and stood in front of him.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
I made a slightly scrappier version based on what I had around.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
Verizon needs to become scrappier and less bureaucratic, Schulman said at a WSJ Leadership Institute event this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Ostapenko broke Swiatek's serve three times to take the first set but was scrappier in the second, allowing Swiatek to level the match.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2025
I’m really grateful for Veeps and the opportunity to do a special with them, they’re a little scrappy and they have a decent budget, but it’s definitely scrappier than all my other specials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2024
He was red-haired, ferret-eyed, and an excellent scout, but scrappier and more inarticulate in his manner of speech than any human being I had ever encountered.
From Hilda Wade, a Woman with Tenacity of Purpose by Grant Allen
This is the probably the scrappiest I had to be since "Colma: The Musical."
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2023
Based on Daniel James Brown’s bestselling novel of the same name, “The Boys in the Boat” follows Joe Rantz, who’s perhaps the scrappiest of all his teammates.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2023
I have talked to those CEOs, and they are some of the scrappiest folks out there.
From The Verge ● May 3, 2022
The whole city has benefited by encouraging restaurants of all sorts, from the most well-off to the leanest and scrappiest, to lend their own flavor to public spaces.
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2020
“The scrappiest captain in the army,” says Knudsen.
From At Plattsburg by Allen French
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.
