tat ‧ tered /ˈtætəd $ -ərd/ BrE AmE adjective
clothes, books etc that are tattered are old and torn:
He produced a tattered envelope from his pocket.
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THESAURUS
■ in bad condition
▪ in (a) bad/terrible/awful condition ( also in a bad state especially British English ) if something is in bad condition, it is damaged, dirty, not working properly, etc:
The road was in a very bad condition.
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The inspectors said the bridge was in a bad state and potentially dangerous.
▪ shabby used especially about clothes, furniture, or buildings that are in bad condition because they are old and have been used a lot:
His clothes were shabby and ill-fitting.
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They lived in a shabby one-room apartment.
▪ tattered used about clothes or books that are old and torn:
The old man clutched a tattered copy of ‘War and Peace’.
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The shirt was now tattered beyond recognition.
▪ dilapidated used about a building that is in very bad condition because it has not been looked after:
He shared a dilapidated house with five other people.
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The hotel looked slightly dilapidated.
▪ run-down used about a building or area that is in bad condition, especially because the people who live there do not have enough money to look after it properly:
He found lodgings at a run-down motel.
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We lived in a run-down part of the city.
▪ derelict used about something such as a house or piece of land that is in very bad condition, because it has been empty for a very long time:
In the middle of town is a derelict building that used to be the school.
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The land behind the factory is stony and derelict.
▪ battered used about something that is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly:
There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.
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Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.
▪ rickety used about furniture and other structures that are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them:
The staircase was old and rickety.
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They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.
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a rickety bamboo fence
▪ clapped-out British English informal , beat-up American English informal [usually before noun] used about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly:
She drives an old beat-up Ford.
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He was using a clapped-out old typewriter.
▪ be falling apart especially spoken if something is falling apart, it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made:
I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.
▪ be on its last legs informal if a vehicle or machine is on its last legs, it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more:
The washing machine was on its last legs.
▪ have seen better days informal if something has seen better days, it is not in as good condition as it was:
The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.
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She lived in an old Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.