tatty
Definition
- Adjective:
- Worn-out and shabby; in poor condition from age or use: Describes something that is frayed, threadbare, or dilapidated.
- Cheap, gaudy, and tasteless; tawdry: Describes something that is showy in a cheap, vulgar, or flashy way.
Usage and Examples
- Meaning 1 (Worn-out, shabby):
- The hotel room had tatty carpets and peeling wallpaper.
- She refused to wear the tatty old sweater.
- Meaning 2 (Tastelessly showy, tawdry):
- The bar was decorated with tatty gold foil and plastic gems.
- He criticized the film's tatty special effects.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: "tattier," "tattiest."
- Often carries a connotation of neglect or lack of care when describing physical condition.
- When describing style, it implies a lack of sophistication and an attempt to appear glamorous that has failed.
Variants and Related Words
- Tattily (adverb): In a tatty manner.
- The room was tattily decorated.
- Tattiness (noun): The state or quality of being tatty.
- The general tattiness of the building was depressing.
Synonyms
- For "worn-out, shabby": shabby, threadbare, frayed, dilapidated, ratty, scruffy.
- For "tastelessly showy": tawdry, gaudy, flashy, garish, meretricious, cheap.
Antonyms
- For "worn-out, shabby": new, pristine, immaculate, smart.
- For "tastelessly showy": elegant, tasteful, refined, understated.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- While "tatty" itself is not commonly used in fixed idioms, it frequently appears in descriptive phrases criticizing appearance or quality.
- "Tatty chic" (sometimes used ironically to describe a deliberately shabby style).
- "Looking a bit tatty" (a common colloquial remark about something's deteriorating condition).
Adjective
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tastelessly showy
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a flash car
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a flashy ring
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garish colors
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a gaudy costume
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loud sport shirts
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a meretricious yet stylish book
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tawdry ornaments
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showing signs of wear and tear
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a ratty old overcoat
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shabby furniture
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an old house with dirty windows and tatty curtains
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