tatty Hear it!

tatty Definition

tatty (tatē)

adjective -·tier, -·ti·est

Brit. shabby, decrepit, or tawdry

Etymology: prob. < OE taetteca, a rag, akin to ON töturr, tatter

tatty Related Forms
tat·tily adverb tat·ti·ness noun
tatty Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • look: The stairs looked a bit tatty for a place which has been open only a day.
  • get: They are often exposed to the weather, so the internal decorations were beginning to get a trifle tatty.
  • make: All manner of dirt and mold streaks soon build up, making the trailer look tatty.

Modifies a noun

  • clothes: These old boys had tatty clothes and had pewter mugs out of which they were drinking.
  • appearance: Despite our rather tatty appearance we thought we would try to go inside in search of what must surely be a safe cuppa.
  • bag: Why not have a clearout of old tatty carrier bags next time you go shopping?
  • piece: Decompression was done on a tatty piece of rope tied to the tip of the mast.
  • town: Aug. 8th 2003 19:12 tatty seaside town Senior Member Registered: May.
  • one: That'll be interesting because burning is one of the endorsed methods of disposing of an old and tatty one.

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: Despite our rather tatty appearance we thought we would try to go inside in search of what must surely be a safe cuppa.
  • slightly: When the contents look even slightly tatty, re-mount the work.
  • little: A new stand would brighten up a stadium that is starting to look a little tatty.
  • very: In the area we stopped there were lots of very tatty shops.
  • really: If you have a really tatty castle destroy it!
  • somewhat: Big new stores like Waterstones, Borders, Hennes and HMV have raised the somewhat tatty profile but it still lacks a heart.

Used with adjective complement

  • look: Despite the best efforts of the painters, why does Bangor always manage to look tatty?
  • get: I think the flowers would get tatty quickly outdoors.
  • become: He noticed that the pages of the book became more tatty the closer one was to the front.

Browse dictionary entries near tatty

  1. tattoo
  2. tattletale
  3. tattler
  4. tattle
  5. tatting
  6. tattersall
  7. tatters
  8. tattered
  9. tatterdemalion
  10. tatter
  1. Tatum
  2. tau
  3. tau cross
  4. tau particle
  5. taught
  6. taunt
  7. Taunton
  8. taupe
  9. Taurean
  10. taurine