Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having a rough, grating, or irritating texture or sound: Describes something that feels or sounds harsh, uneven, or unpleasant, like a rough fabric or a raspy voice.
   • Inconsistent or uneven in quality: Describes something that is not smooth or uniform, appearing in irregular patches or spots.
   • Easily irritated or irritable: Describes a person or animal that is prone to becoming annoyed or fractious.
   • Causing abrasion or a slight scraping sensation: Describes something that can scrape or scratch a surface or the skin.

Usage Examples

• Describing texture or sound:
  • The old record player produced a scratchy sound.
  • She couldn't wear the wool sweater because it felt too scratchy against her skin.
• Describing inconsistency:
  • The radio signal was scratchy and kept fading in and out.
• Describing irritability:
  • He gets scratchy when he hasn't had enough sleep.
• Describing an abrasive quality:
  • The scratchy burlap sack left marks on the table.

Advanced Usage

• "scratchy throat": A common phrase describing the irritated, rough feeling in one's throat, often at the start of a cold.
  • I think I'm getting sick; I have a scratchy throat.
• Used metaphorically to describe writing or drawing that appears hurried, careless, or composed of rough lines.
  • The artist's scratchy sketches captured the energy of the scene.

Variants and Related Words

• Scratch (verb/noun): To mark or scrape a surface with something sharp; a mark or sound made by scratching.
• Scratchily (adverb): In a scratchy manner.
  • The pen wrote scratchily on the dry paper.

Synonyms

• Grating: Harsh and irritating to the senses.
• Raspy: Having a rough, harsh sound (often for voices).
• Rough: Having an uneven or irregular surface.
• Irritable: Easily annoyed or angered.
• Spotty: Marked with spots; inconsistent in quality.

Antonyms

• Smooth: Having an even and regular surface; free from roughness.
• Consistent: Unchanging in achievement or effect over time.
• Even-tempered: Not easily annoyed or angered.

Related Phrases

• To sound scratchy: To have a rough, grating quality in audio.
  • The vintage recording sounds scratchy but charming.
• To feel scratchy: To have a rough, irritating texture against the skin.
  • This tag feels scratchy; I need to cut it off.

Adjective

1. unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
   • a gravelly voice
2. lacking consistency
   • the golfer hit the ball well but his putting was spotty
3. easily irritated or annoyed
   • an incorrigibly fractious young man
   • not the least nettlesome of his countrymen
4. causing abrasion