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.
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
And after the tetchy, scratchy, emotional exchanges in the High Court, it's not something that you think he'll miss.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 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
Meanwhile Nathan Johnson’s score of scratchy cellos and foreboding horns pairs well with a dramatic burst of organ music — one of many goofy-great jump scares goosed up by the editor Bob Ducsay.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
Koffi tried to sound confident as she asked the question, but when she spoke, she found her voice was hoarse and scratchy, as though she hadn’t spoken in days.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
