tattered

[tat-erd]

adjective

1. torn to tatters; tatter; ragged.

   a tattered flag.

2. wearing ragged clothing.

   a tattered old man.

tattered

/ ˈtætəd /

adjective

1. ragged or worn

   a tattered old book

2. wearing ragged or torn clothing

   tattered refugees

3. damaged, defeated, or in disarray

   he believes he can bring the tattered party together

Other Word Forms

• untattered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tattered¹

1300–50; Middle English; tatter ¹ (noun), -ed ³

Example Sentences

Scattered in the dirt around the opening of the well were tattered clothes left behind after bodies had been pulled out.

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Her tattered dress was no match for the blustery winds at sea.

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The couch was tattered and stained, with stuffing poking out of the cushions.

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Over tattered drum and bass patterns, retro-futuristic crescendos and ephemeral melodies, Twigs attempts to bottle the way dance music makes her feel.

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Crammed under a tattered tent on rough wooden benches, Yemeni children are learning Arabic grammar -- lucky to receive an education at all in a country hammered by years of war.

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Related Words

• battered 
• dilapidated 
• frayed 
• ripped 
• shabby 
• threadbare 
• torn