scrappy

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparableapproving

   Determined and ready to fight hard, especially when facing a stronger opponent.

   Grammar: Usually admiring: a scrappy team.

   Patterns

   • a scrappy fighter
   • a scrappy underdog

   The scrappy little team beat the champions.

   She is a scrappy competitor who never gives up.

   A scrappy start-up took on the industry giants.

2. 2adjectivecomparableBritishdisapproving

   Made of odds and ends, or messy and badly put together.

   Grammar: Often critical; British usage.

   Patterns

   • a scrappy piece of paper

   He scribbled the address on a scrappy bit of paper.

   The team's scrappy play cost them the match.

   The report was scrappy and full of gaps.

Word forms

Common combinations

scrappy underdog

The scrappy underdog surprised everyone.

scrappy team

A scrappy team can beat a stronger one.

scrappy fighter

He is a scrappy fighter with a big heart.

scrappy performance

The scrappy performance disappointed fans.

scrappy notes

Her scrappy notes were hard to read.

Synonyms and how they differ

feisty

Feisty stresses spirited, lively aggression, often in someone small or old.

gritty

Gritty stresses toughness and determination without the sense of fighting.

plucky

Plucky highlights courage in difficult situations and is gentler than scrappy.

untidy

Untidy is a neutral word for messy and does not carry any fighting sense.

Opposites

Word family

scrap noun

a small piece or a fight

scrap verb

to fight or to throw away

scrappily adverb

in a scrappy way

scrappiness noun

the quality of being scrappy

Commonly confused: scrappy or scrappy-doo?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “scrappy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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