English Explanatory Dictionary

ramshackle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. In disrepair or disorder; poorly maintained; lacking upkeep, usually of buildings or vehicles.
  2. Badly or carelessly organized.
verb
  1. To ransack.

Pronunciation

/ˈɹæmˌʃæk.əl/ rămʹshăk'əl en-us-ramshackle.ogg en-au-ramshackle.ogg

Word forms

ramshackle more ramshackle most ramshackle ramshackles ramshackling ramshackled

Etymology

First attested in 1830, a back-formation from ramshackled, from ransackled, past participle of ransackle (“to ransack”), frequentative of Middle English ransaken (“to pillage”).

Synonyms

shabby tacky scroungy beat beat up beaten up bedraggled broken-down crumbling derelict dilapidated draggled neglected ramshackle ruinous run-down seedy tatterdemalion timeworn tumbledown

Antonyms

intact in good repair like new rustless spick-and-span thrifty unbroken undamaged unimpaired untainted well-kept well-preserved

Derived words

ramshackleness ramshackly
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