1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
one of those tatterdemalion towns of the rust belt where the factories closed down decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
wearing torn or worn-out clothes
an ill-equipped, tatterdemalion army
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tatterdemalion
Overhanging his outer compound wall were the only two remaining shade trees in the citadel, one a dying oak, the other a mulberry tree, and within the compound was a tatterdemalion garden, where a scrawny pomegranate tree drooped with heavy fruit.
—
Rod Nordland, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Rod Nordland, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatterdemalion
Adjective
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Longtime Oak Lawn Village Board member Timothy Desmond has resigned from his post to enter into a contract with the village through his home building company to restore dilapidated properties, with the goal of putting them back on the tax rolls.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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The newborn lived in a dank and dilapidated enclosure alongside seven other lions, including his parents, Kim and Carl, said Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane World for Animals Canada, whose organization helped shut down the zoo and rescue the lions.—
Andrea Sachs,
Washington Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For Chicago, the shocking crimes are noteworthy contributors to its tattered national reputation — fair or not — for being unsafe and for criminal-justice policies perceived as being concerned more with the rights of those accused than the interests of those victimized.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Untrained soldiers were shoeless and wore tattered clothes.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For patients living with rare and neglected diseases, the next breakthrough treatment might already be sitting in a pharmaceutical company’s filing cabinet.—
Annette Bakker,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
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When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If the edges look ragged with tan or white tips, your mower blade is at fault.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
-
So, the books around it sparkle on the shelf, and this book alone is old and ragged.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tatterdemalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatterdemalion. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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