If something such as clothing or a book is tattered, it is damaged or torn, especially because it has been used a lot over a long period of time. He fled wearing only a sarong and a tattered shirt
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing; "a man in a tattered shirt"; "the tattered flag"; "tied up in tattered brown paper"; "a tattered barefoot boy"; "a tatterdemalion prince
If you describe something as tattered, you mean that it has been badly damaged or has failed completely. But, two-and-a-half years later, things haven't quite gone to plan and Stanley's dreams of fame and fortune lie tattered and torn. clothes, books etc that are tattered are old and torn