rattling

1 of 2

adjective

rat·​tling ˈrat-liŋ How to pronounce rattling (audio)
1
: lively, brisk
moved at a rattling pace
2
: extraordinarily good : splendid
rattlingly adverb

rattling

2 of 2

adverb

: to an extreme degree : very
a rattling good story

Examples of rattling in a Sentence

Adjective we drove off at a rattling pace Adverb a rattling good storyteller
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Here a number of the emigrants who arrived late were stowed away on a rattling floor of cane, covered with hides. Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, 2 Oct. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rattling was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near rattling

Cite this Entry

“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rattling. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rattling

1 of 2 adjective
rat·​tling ˈrat-liŋ How to pronounce rattling (audio)
: very brisk : lively
going at a rattling pace

rattling

2 of 2 adverb
: very entry 2 sense 1
a rattling good tale

More from Merriam-Webster on rattling

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