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
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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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In Los Angeles, $500,000 gets you a dilapidated hut in the hood with a permanent police siren soundtrack.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
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Stay Here: The Spanish family behind Vestige Collection is on a mission to breathe life into the country’s crumbling landmarks and dilapidated palaces.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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And then, in close-up, a bulldozer turns over rubble, and a family photograph is glimpsed in the debris, a tattered symbol of what has been lost.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
25 May 2025
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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
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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In the clip, the small dog scuttles into the room clutching his ragged bear, which has a hole that has caused its stuffing to spill out.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
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These others can boast a ragged caliphate, closets full of Che T-shirts, and an upcoming Mission: Impossible movie, respectively.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tatterdemalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatterdemalion. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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