Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "scrappy" [scrap•py]

  • Composed of scraps; fragmentary: scrappy evidence. (adjective)
  • Quarrelsome; contentious. (adjective)
  • Full of fighting spirit. See Synonyms at argumentative. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "scrappy" in a sentence
  • "It arrived in scrappy circumstances, Hooper scoring from close-range after a Georgios Samaras header landed in his path."
  • "Finding a potential meal ticket in scrappy female fighter Katherine Parker (ably played by Rebecca Neuenswander), Dublin manages to persuade her to allow him to “manage” her career."
  • "For me it's been plain scrappy stubbornness, not necessarily talent or self-confidence, that pushes me forward."