scrappy
1 Americanadjective
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scrappier,
comparative
-
scrappiest
superlative
adjective
-
scrappier,
comparative
-
scrappiest
superlative
-
inclined to fight, argue, or compete; aggressive: Having to defend itself against a giant corporation gave the new company a reputation as a scrappy contender.
Badgers are such scrappy fighters that coyotes will team up with them out of fear of being eaten by them.
Having to defend itself against a giant corporation gave the new company a reputation as a scrappy contender.
-
having or showing spirit and determination, especially in spite of obstacles.
This era formed dozens of legends—strong-willed, scrappy survivors whose faith in their cause was unshakable.
adjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of scrappy1
First recorded in 1830–40; scrap 1 + -y 1
Origin of scrappy2
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.
See Examples For:
Blown away in a 26-minute opening set, fourth seed Gauff was twice pegged back from a break up in a scrappy second set before coming through a 16-point tie-break to force a decider.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Their scrappy determination helped convince family members, neighbors and eventually the rest of the country that the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty and equality applied to same-sex couples.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026
Whether she directs that talent toward good or evil varies from episode to episode, but she embodies the scrappy, anarchic spirit of old-time New York.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
The company came out of hiding in April 2025, positioning itself as a scrappy upstart laser-focused on keeping costs contained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
The scrappy kid in boots didn’t match the teenager in a bouncy white dress.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
I made a slightly scrappier version based on what I had around.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
Serrano started strongly with sharp body work and accurate left hands from her southpaw stance, before the contest developed into a scrappier affair than expected.
From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026
Verizon needs to become scrappier and less bureaucratic, Schulman said at a WSJ Leadership Institute event this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Olsen: Your background is kind of in independent film and on “PEN15,” which is kind of a scrappier show.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024
"Doug, am I any scrappier than the rest of them?"
From Judith of the Godless Valley by Honoré Morrow
This is the probably the scrappiest I had to be since "Colma: The Musical."
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2023
It was a long week of matches, featuring some of the scrappiest Overwatch I’ve seen this season.
From The Verge ● Jul. 25, 2022
But Charlie Brown opted, instead, for the scrappiest of green trees, throwing shade to artifice and commercialism and embracing authenticity and the true spirit of Christmas.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2019
The scrappiest of the three new parks, it is, at the moment, also my favorite.
From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2018
“The scrappiest captain in the army,” says Knudsen.
From At Plattsburg by Allen French
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.
