adj
scrappy
SKRA-pee
adj
1
Determined and combative, especially despite being smaller or weaker than an opponent.
"The underdog team played a scrappy, hard-fought match."
2
Made up of odd, disconnected pieces; lacking overall unity.
"His essay felt scrappy, jumping between ideas with no clear thread."
How to Use Scrappy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither fiercely determined and fighting hard, or disorganized and made of unconnected bits.
Common pairings
a scrappy performance
a scrappy win
scrappy underdog
Word Forms
scrappier comparative, scrappiest superlative
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The underdog team played a _____, hard-fought match.
Etymology
Formed from scrap (a fight, or a fragment) plus the adjective ending -y.