scratchy
UK: ˈskrætʃi | US: ˈskrætʃi
adj. 1. (of a sound or texture) rough or grating; causing discomfort.
adj. 2. (of writing or drawing) hastily or carelessly done; uneven.
adj. 3. (of skin or fabric) causing itching or irritation.
The word "scratchy" combines "scratch," derived from Middle English scracchen (likely imitative of the sound of scraping), with the suffix "-y," which forms adjectives meaning "characterized by." Originally tied to the physical act of scratching, it evolved to describe anything resembling the rough, uneven quality of a scratch—whether in sound, texture, or appearance. The suffix "-y" broadens the root's meaning to a general attribute.
The old record player produced a scratchy sound.
Her handwriting was hurried and scratchy.
The wool sweater felt scratchy against his skin.
He doodled scratchy lines in the margins of his notebook.
The cat’s tongue left a scratchy sensation on my hand.