1
as in ragged
wearing torn or worn-out clothes
arrived at the shelter tattered and exhausted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faded
worn or torn into or as if into rags
a hobo in tattered old clothes and worn-out shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ripped
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the little boy tattered that blanket beyond repair by repeatedly yanking on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tattered
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Kick your tattered bath mat to the curb, and grab the Yimobra Memory Foam Bath Rug before the deal expires.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The textured look included Roberto Cavalli tattered pants in a deep burgundy, worn with brown Miu Miu leggings underneath, a Dolce & Gabbana corset, and a Hermès by Jean Paul Gaultier shawl.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026
There’s a magic, a sacredness to the mountain, even under its layered grief and tattered prayer flags.
—Corey Buhay, Outside, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tattered
Adjective
Decked out in a purple velour tracksuit, layered necklaces, a tattered blonde wig, and a tiara, Jimmy is the cult leader to a small, depraved group of satanists who claim to be the son of the Devil himself.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Kick your tattered bath mat to the curb, and grab the Yimobra Memory Foam Bath Rug before the deal expires.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The textured look included Roberto Cavalli tattered pants in a deep burgundy, worn with brown Miu Miu leggings underneath, a Dolce & Gabbana corset, and a Hermès by Jean Paul Gaultier shawl.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026
There’s a magic, a sacredness to the mountain, even under its layered grief and tattered prayer flags.
—Corey Buhay, Outside, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tattered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tattered
Adjective
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Also consider that monstera is sometimes called swiss cheese plant, with leaves that develop ragged holes over time.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
4 Feb. 2026
-
At 836,000 square miles, Greenland is nearly 80 percent ice, a frozen leaf dangling in the far North Atlantic with dramatic, ragged edges, impossibly sheer cliffs that dwarf even El Capitan, and a massive ice sheet as thick as 11,000 feet.—
Tim Neville,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Manny Pacquiao’s attempt to extend his boxing career toward an Olympic appearance at 45 ran into age‑limit rules and concerns about the optics and health risks of watching a faded great take more punishment.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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The latter sees a faded star eyeing a possible comeback and encountering all sorts of ghosts from his past.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The explosion, which ripped through the mosque during Friday prayers, was caused by a suicide bomber, police told CNN.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Four people are dead after a fire ripped through a DeKalb County home late Wednesday, officials said.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The next areas on your decluttering to-do list should be your kitchen cabinets and office drawers, which have a serious tendency to accumulate unused or outdated electronics, miscellaneous plugs, or frayed, unusable cords.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
25 Jan. 2026
-
For all the dialogue’s sharpness, a few narrative strands are left too loose or frayed.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And that dislocation tore the labrum, which is the tissue that surrounds the socket and attaches it to the bone.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
10 Feb. 2026
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Fourteen people were displaced after a quick-moving second-alarm fire tore through a triple-decker home in Lynn Monday evening.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If the split happens in the middle of the tree trunk, what's left looks hollow and shredded, resembling an explosion.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Springsteen’s voice sounds shredded, and the words often fall awkwardly within the cadence of the Dylanesque melody.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tattered. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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