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Synonyms

tattered

American  
[tat-erd] / ˈtæt ərd /

adjective

  1. torn to tatters; tatter; ragged.

    a tattered flag.

  2. wearing ragged clothing.

    a tattered old man.


tattered British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • untattered adjective

Etymology

Origin of tattered

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

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.

As their last act, they lowered and packed the ship’s tattered American flag.

From Literature

The woman took stock of my tattered clothes and overall filthiness.

From Literature

He wrote a 12-book series around the character, a British soldier who returns to Cornwall from the American War of Independence and rebuilds his tattered estate, reopens his father's derelict mine and finds love.

From BBC

In “Vaccine Flag,” a vertical banner arcs gracefully across a soft gradient of L.A. haze, but the banner’s fabric is so tattered and decayed that its advertisement for vaccines is barely legible.

From Los Angeles Times

Near the door sat a huge chair covered with a pile of tattered quilts.

From Literature