scratchy
Americanadjective
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causing or liable to cause a slight grating noise.
a scratchy record.
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consisting of or marked by scratches.
a scratchy drawing.
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uneven; haphazard.
He plays a scratchy game.
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causing itching or other minor irritation of the skin.
a scratchy woolen sweater.
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causing or liable to cause a scratch or scratches.
scratchy bushes.
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Chiefly British Slang. peevish; spiteful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scratchy
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.
In a weak and scratchy voice, she tells the BBC that when that happens there is only one option left - to walk into the scrubland to search for food.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
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
It charts the Egyptian Lover’s rise through old photos, from the artist’s personal collection, where the gold chains are stacked, curls are juicy, chest hair is popping and the windbreaker tracksuits are scratchy.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
The week before, the scratchy voice of the assistant on the speakerphone had told them that she was still sending out inquiries, but the situation in Afghanistan was getting worse.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
