Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

in tatters

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.58 in modern English

Syllables: in- -tat-ters
IPA

9

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

Badly torn in many places; in shreds.

phrase

Ruined, destroyed, wrecked.

Example Sentences

"Its financial plans for 2020-24, published last December, lie in tatters. TfL Chief Financial Officer Simon Kilonback told his board in June: "It is unlikely, even with significant external support, that we will return to any similar plan or levels of investment in the medium term.""
"Most polls give the left, divided between Socialists, ecologists and far-left parties, less than 30 percent of the vote in a France drifting rightward. The once-proud “gauche” is in tatters."

Questions

What does in tatters mean?: Badly torn in many places; in shreds.

How to pronounce in tatters

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “in tatters”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “in tatters”.
Repeat and practice — Say “in tatters” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.