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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
wearing torn or worn-out clothes
an ill-equipped, tatterdemalion army
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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Police questioned him in 1994 after a man named Mark Peters turned up dead, tied to a chair in a dilapidated cabin in northern Kentucky.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2025
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Disaster could have been avoided The bridge project aimed to replace a dilapidated wood bridge about 27 miles northeast of Kansas City, in unincorporated Clay County.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
4 May 2025
Adjective
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Its tattered and faded copy of the Magna Carta is worth millions of dollars, Carpenter estimated—though Harvard has no plans to sell it.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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The bottom half of the dog's body stayed pinned underneath a tattered couch on a pile of trash as flies circled him.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the area where these cuts will be felt most acutely is with respect to elder abuse, which is already a neglected area of health care and social services.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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By upcycling a neglected garment, Hirsch hopes to give someone the chance to experience the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into creating a piece.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The square of white cloth was about to be sewn into a bigger pieces displaying political messages, but the ragged edges didn't neatly line up with the other pieces.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
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Musk: Tesla not on ‘ragged edge of death’ Musk dismisses the idea that the company is in any serious financial distress.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tatterdemalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatterdemalion. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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