scratchy
adjective
ˈskra-chē 
scratchier; scratchiest
1
: marked or made with scratches
scratchy drawing
scratchy handwriting
2
: likely to scratch : prickly
scratchy undergrowth
3
: making a scratching noise
4
: uneven in quality : ragged
5
: causing tingling or itching : irritating
scratchy wool
6
: somewhat inflamed and sore
a scratchy throat
scratchily
ˈskra-chə-lē
adverb scratchiness
ˈskra-chē-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
- brambly
- prickly
- thistly
- thorny
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
listening to scratchy old records The costume is made from scratchy material. He is sick with a scratchy throat.
Recent Examples on the Web One of my heavy-rotations pieces was a Junya Watanabe x Supreme sweater crafted in a delightfully scratchy mohair fabric. 
Madeline Fass, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2022 Our tester found that the material on these gloves was thick enough to offer good protection from damp soils and scratchy plants. Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022 From material being too scratchy, too thin or thick, too difficult to care for, or just plain uncomfortable, a bad blanket leads to even worse sleep, which none of us wants. Hannah Jones, Country Living, 25 July 2022 Children of the ‘70s will remember the scratchy webbing strips stretched over the aluminum frames of a lawn chair. Sunset Magazine, 14 June 2022 The president has had an unusually low, scratchy voice and an occasional cough all week, prompting questions from the press about his health on Friday. Alexandra Jaffe, ajc, 3 Dec. 2021 Alvarado — who could not sit and lean on her desk, drink or eat until the filibuster ended — also received extensive help from other Democrats, who took to the Senate floor to ask long questions, giving her sometimes scratchy voice a break. Chuck Lindell, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2021 Djokovic entered Wimbledon having played no warm-up tournaments on grass and was scratchy in his debut. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Take a stroll through one of the remaining pockets of Florida scrub habitat and listen for a loud, scratchy weep — a sound that distinguishes the Florida scrub-jay from other avian residents of the Sunshine State. Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2022 See More
Madeline Fass, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2022 Our tester found that the material on these gloves was thick enough to offer good protection from damp soils and scratchy plants. Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022 From material being too scratchy, too thin or thick, too difficult to care for, or just plain uncomfortable, a bad blanket leads to even worse sleep, which none of us wants. Hannah Jones, Country Living, 25 July 2022 Children of the ‘70s will remember the scratchy webbing strips stretched over the aluminum frames of a lawn chair. Sunset Magazine, 14 June 2022 The president has had an unusually low, scratchy voice and an occasional cough all week, prompting questions from the press about his health on Friday. Alexandra Jaffe, ajc, 3 Dec. 2021 Alvarado — who could not sit and lean on her desk, drink or eat until the filibuster ended — also received extensive help from other Democrats, who took to the Senate floor to ask long questions, giving her sometimes scratchy voice a break. Chuck Lindell, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2021 Djokovic entered Wimbledon having played no warm-up tournaments on grass and was scratchy in his debut. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Take a stroll through one of the remaining pockets of Florida scrub habitat and listen for a loud, scratchy weep — a sound that distinguishes the Florida scrub-jay from other avian residents of the Sunshine State. Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
scratchy
adjective
ˈskra-chē
scratchier; scratchiest
1
: likely to injure with something sharp
a scratchy rosebush
2
: causing irritation
a scratchy wool sweater
3
: coarse sense 1
I shook his scratchy hand.
4
: somewhat sore
a scratchy throat
scratchy
adjective
1
as in jagged
having leaves or branches which are likely to cause a scratch scratchy shrubbery that's intended to keep kids and pets off the old man's property Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- jagged
- thorny
- prickly
- rough
- burred
- coarse
- bristly
- brambly
- thistly
2
as in irritating
causing an unpleasant tingling sensation the wool pants are so scratchy that I can't stand to wear them Synonyms & Similar Words
- irritating
- itchy
- harsh
- coarse
- rough
- prickly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- soft
- silky
- soothing
- silken
3
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound her voice was scratchy from a cold Synonyms & Similar Words
- hoarse
- gruff
- husky
- raspy
- rasping
- coarse
- rusty
- gravelly
- croaky
- throaty
- grating
- gravel
- croaking
- growling
- abrasive
- scratching
- rough
- guttural
- jarring
- strained
- choked
- strangled
- scraping
- screeching
- strident
- cracked
- grinding
- raucous
- growly
- discordant
- squawking
- dissonant
- unmusical
- cacophonous
- unmelodious
- inharmonious
- cawing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sweet
- gentle
- soft
- liquid
- soothing
- golden
- smooth
- mellifluous
- mellow
- velvety
- tender
- silken
- satiny
- musical
- mellifluent
- melodious
- gliding
- melodic
- lyrical
- lyric
- euphonious