rattling 1 of 3

adjective

ˈrat-liŋ How to pronounce rattling (audio)
Definition of rattlingnext
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed we drove off at a rattling pace

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rattling

2 of 3

adverb

as in extremely
to a great degree a rattling good storyteller

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rattling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rattle
1
as in clattering
to make a series of short sharp noises the children tromped through the kitchen, making the plates on the shelf rattle

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2
as in chatting
to engage in casual or rambling conversation busily rattling away about our vacation plans, we didn't listen to the announcements and missed our flight

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3
as in rambling
to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point she rattled on and on about all her European shopping trips, but I wasn't really listening

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4
as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress don't let a little mistake rattle you while you're playing during the piano recital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rattling
Adjective
Other than visible dirt and dust, signs that your bathroom exhaust fan needs cleaning includes a rattling or buzzing sound, reduced airflow, or excess moisture along the walls. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025 With all these features and a unique design that eliminates all the rattling and imprecise grips of conventional wrenches, this tool could find frequent use in your workshop. — New Atlas, 18 May 2026
Verb
Banging, rattling, grinding, squealing, or buzzing noises often indicate that something inside the system is loose, damaged, or wearing out. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 29 June 2026 The 10 tracks of Ton Up are at once his briskest and heaviest yet, miniaturizing his trademark loops of Dillafied psychedelia into speaker-rattling sample snippets that bombard uptempo house beats in dizzying volleys. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rattling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattling
  1. rapid
  2. extremely
  3. clattering
  4. chatting
  5. rambling
  6. embarrassing
  7. brisk
  8. very
Adjective
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
  • At the heart of the clash is how to manage wild horse populations that can reproduce at a rapid clip.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of rapid
Adverb
  • The team turned to the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, a stadium-sized synchrotron facility that produces extremely bright X-ray beams.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
  • Teasing out the impact of a small dose of radiation that occurs in addition to all those other exposures is extremely challenging, and the impact of extremely low exposures has not been decisively demonstrated.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026
Definition of extremely
Verb
  • Below them, clattering on a dozen parallel tracks, the trains were coming and going, arriving and departing, thundering underground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • Skeletor is all pixels with a clattering jaw perfect for chewing the scenery.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Definition of clattering
Verb
  • Lena Dunham was spotted poking her head out of a backseat window and chatting with someone redirecting traffic, while her ex, a suited Jack Antonoff, and his sister, fashion designer Rachel Antonoff, were also seen walking up to MSG.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
  • While chatting with the NFL brothers, Jason posed a tongue-in-cheek question to the Prince of Wales.
    — Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of chatting
Verb
  • Throughout the latter two videos, Ivey spoke to the camera while driving his car and rambling through various evangelical talking points.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • This rambling 1,200-acre Southern California ranch has both and much more, plus a supremely private and scenic locale on the outskirts of the historic community of San Juan Capistrano.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of rambling
Verb
  • Ukraine has carried out major drone strikes on Russia’s two largest cities, embarrassing the Kremlin with images of black plumes of smoke that circulated widely online, despite regulations restricting their publication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • But in this case, the ejection was absolutely unnecessary and, frankly, embarrassing for Lentz.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • Studies show that orgasms also relieve menstrual pain, lower blood pressure, enhance circulation, correlate with better cardiac functioning, and burn calories equivalent to thirty minutes of brisk walking.
    — Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The glacier carts and kiosks that dish out ice cream, soft serve and sorbets did brisk business all week.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 June 2026
Definition of brisk
Adverb
  • Despite consuming mass quantities of high-calorie foods during competition season, most professional competitive eaters are very lean.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Music icon Taylor Swift and football star Travis Kelce, who announced their engagement in August 2025, are anticipated to tie the knot very soon.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of very

Browse Nearby Words

rattletrap
rattling
rattrap
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Cite this Entry

“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattling. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rattling

Nglish: Translation of rattling for Spanish Speakers

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