tattered

1 of 2

adjective

tat·​tered ˈta-tərd How to pronounce tattered (audio)
Synonyms of tattered
1
: torn into shreds : ragged
a tattered flag
2
a
: broken down : dilapidated
… decaying houses along tattered paved streets.—P. B. Martin
b
: being in a shattered condition
led their tattered party to victory
3
: wearing ragged clothes
a tattered barefoot boy

tattered

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of tatter entry 1

Synonyms of tattered

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tattered in a Sentence

Adjective a pile of old tattered books arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 For weeks, migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta had gathered on a beach away from the city center, sleeping on cardboard sheets, under reed huts and guarding their few possessions in tattered plastic bags. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The ferocious character also features shaggy black-and-orange hair that matches his tattered pants, and a large necklace adorned with teeth. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 2026 The trailer finds the film’s protagonists alternately hunting or fleeing the vicious creature — or creatures — through a tattered town known as Hope Harbor, a remote coastal village near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tattered

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tattered was in the 14th century

Rhymes for tattered

See All Rhymes for tattered

Browse Nearby Words

tatterdemalion
tattered
tattered leaf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tattered. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tattered

adjective
tat·​tered ˈtat-ərd How to pronounce tattered (audio)
1
: wearing ragged clothes
a tattered barefoot child
2
: torn in shreds : ragged
a tattered flag
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All