rattier; rattiest
1
a
: infested with rats
b
: of, relating to, or suggestive of a rat
3
a
b
: irritable
feeling ratty as hell—
Richard Bissell
Richard BissellSynonyms
Examples of ratty in a Sentence
Those shoes are getting pretty ratty.
some ratty old magazines were the only reading material in the mountaintop cabin
Recent Examples on the Web
The images of Chalamet in a ratty getup, carrying a battered guitar case, circulated on social media ahead of the official first-look images that usually come later.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2024
In Chapter 8, Haring is still making art in a basement studio with ratty floors and actual rats.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
He was celebrated as a visionary with a furry thicket of messy hair and a fondness for ratty T-shirts and cargo shorts as his standard uniform.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 2 Nov. 2023
Bare ass against the inside of a ratty mascot costume worn in the view of a smokin’ hot crush (role originated by Rick Moranis).
—Kate Hakala, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
The Sewer Boys — as well as their parents, who appear in the movie’s climax — are all anatomically endowed underneath their loincloths and ratty T-shirts.
—Vulture, 24 Oct. 2023
See tuxedos where the culottes are actually basketball shorts; choirboy collars as stiff and soaring as those of a high court judge; hammered bronze and silver sequins matched with sweats or T-shirts; and the most dramatic taffeta opera cloaks over ratty old tighty whities.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
This is not a workout shirt that's going to look ratty after a few months of wear.
—Heath Owens, Men's Health, 19 Aug. 2023
In part, that’s due to the fiction’s high level of verisimilitude — from L.A.’s dives and ratty apartments to the predictable patterns of addiction.
—Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2023
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2024
In Chapter 8, Haring is still making art in a basement studio with ratty floors and actual rats.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
He was celebrated as a visionary with a furry thicket of messy hair and a fondness for ratty T-shirts and cargo shorts as his standard uniform.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 2 Nov. 2023
Bare ass against the inside of a ratty mascot costume worn in the view of a smokin’ hot crush (role originated by Rick Moranis).
—Kate Hakala, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
The Sewer Boys — as well as their parents, who appear in the movie’s climax — are all anatomically endowed underneath their loincloths and ratty T-shirts.
—Vulture, 24 Oct. 2023
See tuxedos where the culottes are actually basketball shorts; choirboy collars as stiff and soaring as those of a high court judge; hammered bronze and silver sequins matched with sweats or T-shirts; and the most dramatic taffeta opera cloaks over ratty old tighty whities.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
This is not a workout shirt that's going to look ratty after a few months of wear.
—Heath Owens, Men's Health, 19 Aug. 2023
In part, that’s due to the fiction’s high level of verisimilitude — from L.A.’s dives and ratty apartments to the predictable patterns of addiction.
—Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ratty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ratty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratty. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ratty
adjective
rat·ty
ˈrat-ē 
rattier; rattiest
1
a
: full of rats
ratty dockside warehouses
b
: of or relating to rats
2
: shabby sense 2a
a ratty old sweater
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