clothes or pieces of cloth that are badly torn 破烂的衣服;破衣烂布 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + tatters- lie in
- hang in
- leave something in
- …
- in tatters
- rags and tatters
Word Originlate Middle English (also in the singular meaning ‘scrap of cloth’): from Old Norse tǫtrar ‘rags’.
Idioms
in tatters
torn in many places 破烂不堪;破破烂烂 damaged too badly to be saved synonym in shreds被毁坏的;破败的;坍塌的 Her reputation was in tatters. 她已名誉扫地。 The government's education policy lies in tatters. 政府的教育政策彻底破产了。
Extra ExamplesHer marriage now lay in tatters. 她的婚姻现已破裂。 With their plans now in tatters, they gave up. 如今计划失败,他们放弃了。 an injury that left his dreams in tatters 令他梦想破灭的一次受伤