Ratchier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by increasing intensity or harshness; becoming more severe or stringent; showing a rising degree of toughness or strictness
2. Exhibiting a shift toward greater sharpness or severity; progressively more demanding or forceful; reflecting an escalation in firmness or rigor
3. Displaying a trend toward amplified severity; growing more unyielding or severe; indicating an increase in strictness or intensity

Etymology: "Ratchier" is the comparative form of "ratchy," an adjective meaning rough, harsh, or irritable in a way that can feel like a scratch or grating edge. "Ratchy" is itself formed from "ratch," an older variant of "rough" or "rugged" that appears in dialect and informal use, with the suffix "-y" added to describe something having that quality. The comparative "-ier" follows the usual pattern for two-syllable adjectives ending in "-y," where the "y" changes to "i" before the ending is added, so "ratchy" becomes "ratchier" and "ratchiest." Because "ratch" is a minor and largely dialectal base, the word has never been common, and its earliest recorded uses are scattered rather than tied to a single famous writer. The comparative adds nothing new to the root beyond intensity: something that is ratchier is simply more abrasive or harsh than something else.