Synonyms

scratchy

American

[skrach-ee] / ˈskrætʃ i /

adjective

scratchier, scratchiest

causing or liable to cause a slight grating noise.

a scratchy record.
consisting of or marked by scratches.

a scratchy drawing.
uneven; haphazard.

He plays a scratchy game.
causing itching or other minor irritation of the skin.

a scratchy woolen sweater.
causing or liable to cause a scratch or scratches.

scratchy bushes.
Chiefly British Slang. peevish; spiteful.

Other Word Forms

scratchily adverb
scratchiness noun

Etymology

Origin of scratchy

First recorded in 1700–10; scratch + -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.

Jos Buttler followed for 25 – he was scratchy again – and Tom Banton 17, only for Bethell to resurrect the chase in the company of Jacks.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

During that broadcast she told viewers that her “voice has been very scratchy and started to crack a little bit.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

Tammy Beaumont was again scratchy for 22 from 43 balls but Amy Jones found valuable form with her 56, before Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt set a platform with a fluent stand of 113.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

Then Brooks shifts into the light thriller she’s teased since the opening notes of heaving, scratchy violins.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2025

My daddy listened to the blues back in Alabama on an old scratchy record.

From "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023