scratchy
/ˈskɹæt͡ʃi/ adjective
Forms scratchier scratchiest
- adjective Characterized by scratches.
- adjective (chiefly of a sore throat) Irritating; itchy.
- adjective (informal, of an analogue radio transmission) Noisy, lossy; marred by white noise or static as a result of poor or low signal, interference or unfavourable atmospheric conditions. “The FM station two hundred miles away was receivable, but the audio was too scratchy to positively identify.”
- adjective (of a phonograph record) Having popping and/or crackling sounds due to excessive wear, especially from scratch marks.
- adjective (informal) Irritable; tetchy.
Synonyms
abrasive cranky fractious irritable nettlesome peevish peckish pettish petulant testy tetchy techy spotty uneven grating gravelly rasping raspy rough
Etymology
From scratch + -y.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Characterized by scratches.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “scratchy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details