be in tatters

be in tatters

1. Of a fabric, typically clothing, to be torn or worn into strips. You can't wear this jacket to dinner—it's in tatters!2. By extension, to be in a ruined condition. The company was in tatters after the founding members resigned. Our relationship is in tatters. I have no idea how we could fix it.See also: tatter

be in ˈtatters


1 (of clothes) be torn in many places: He got into a fight and came home with his clothes in tatters.
2 (of a plan, an idea, a person’s feelings, etc.) be ruined or badly damaged: She’s failed her exams, and now all her hopes of becoming a doctor are in tatters.His career and his reputation are both in tatters after the scandal.See also: tatter