ratty old sweater
1
4.0
- noun
- Informal
- She wore a ratty old sweater to the party.
Examples
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He refused to throw away his ratty old sweater because it was so comfortable.
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She lounged around the house all weekend in her ratty old sweater and jeans.
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The ratty old sweater had holes in the elbows but kept him warm on chilly nights.
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I love my ratty old sweaters for lounging at home.
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He decided to wear his ratty old sweater while lounging at home for comfort.
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The charity shop was filled with colorful clothes, but I was drawn to that ratty old sweater in the corner.
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After years of wear, his favorite ratty old sweater had holes in the elbows and faded colors.
Antonyms
How Worn
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is transparently built from its constituents: 'ratty' (shabby, worn), 'old' (not new), and 'sweater' (a knitted garment), so the combined phrase simply describes a worn-out, shabby sweater. This is a straightforward adjective + adjective + noun composition following common descriptive patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the individual words can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Ratty old sweater may come from a simple picture: a ratty sweater chewed by rats and worn thin, with holes and loose threads. So it now means 'worn-out and shabby', an old sweater that looks bad but may still be comfortable.