ratty

[ rat-ee ]

adjective

, rat·ti·er, rat·ti·est.

1. full of rats.
2. of or characteristic of a rat.
3. wretched; shabby:

   a ratty, old overcoat.

4. Slang. irritable or angry; bad-tempered; nasty:

   I always feel ratty when I wake up.

ratty

/ ˈrætɪ /

adjective

1. informal.
   irritable; annoyed
2. informal.
   (of the hair) unkempt or greasy
3. slang.
   shabby; dilapidated
4. slang.
   1. angry
   2. mad
5. of, like, or full of rats

Derived Forms

• ˈrattiness, noun
• ˈrattily, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratty¹

First recorded in 1860–65; rat + -y ¹

Example Sentences

I know people think it is about his goal - and it was a wonderful strike - but he was all over the place, putting his foot in, making loads of fouls, ratty tackles.

From BBC

After spending the night at an uncharacteristically ratty Holiday Inn Express in Willcox, I took U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

“I remember this smell,” he says, plopping down on a ratty sofa beneath a faded oil painting.

From Los Angeles Times

Matthews pulled a ratty puppy from the backseat, its tangled white fur stained brown around its face.

From Los Angeles Times

Shrewdly, “The Apprentice,” a hypnotically trashy biopic detailing Donald Trump’s rise to prominence in the ratty, Koch-era New York of the 1970s and ’80s, requires no sympathy for the future president.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• worn