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# tatty

adjective (tatty, tattier, tattiest) — informal, UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ

«tatty» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal) Old, worn out and in poor condition, a bit shabby. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#m1)
2. (informal) Of poor quality or cheap-looking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#m2)
3. Tatty can also be a name for a character, such as Tatty Mouse. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday British, Irish, Australian and NZ talk «tatty» describes old clothes, books, toys or furniture. In stories it shows poverty or long use: «a tatty old coat». In the USA people say «shabby» or «beat-up». Phrases: «tatty old», «a bit tatty», «tatty around the edges».

### Examples

- My favourite teddy is very tatty now. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x1)
- He wore a tatty old jumper. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x2)
- The library book was tatty and torn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x3)
- The sofa looks a bit tatty, so we're getting a new one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x4)
- The posters on the wall were tatty around the edges. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x5)
- Don't wear those tatty trainers to the party! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x6)
- Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse both lived in a house, [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/#x7)

### Note

Informal. Comparative «tattier», superlative «tattiest». Similar to «scruffy», «shabby», «worn». In Scotland «tatties» means potatoes — a different word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tatty» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatty/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tatty» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tatty.html) on Mova free.