tatterdemalion

adjective

Definition of tatterdemalionnext
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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatterdemalion
  1. dilapidated
  2. tattered
  3. neglected
  4. ragged
Adjective
  • Foreign buyers and investment funds have pushed up prices by buying Portuguese properties, including dilapidated buildings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • And the theater where Penélope Cruz’s Nené performs cabaret for the Nationalist troops was a dilapidated cinema that had been closed since the 1950s.
    — Elaina Patton, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Victoria Justice dressed up for her Halloween party in a distressed zombie look featuring a tattered black minidress and edgy boots.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In her translation, where papyri were tattered or a word obscured, Carson indicates this by using brackets and white space.
    — Amy Cannon, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tattered
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • On his second lap at Monza, Antonelli went past the ragged edge.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • While a commercial transatlantic flight would have left me feeling tired and ragged, my body barely registered the six-hour journey.
    — Debra Kamin, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of ragged

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tatter
tatterdemalion
tattered
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Cite this Entry

“Tatterdemalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatterdemalion. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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