1. A rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)
   "The doctor detected a rattling in the patient's chest";
   - rattle, rale

1. [informal] Extraordinarily good or great; used especially as an intensifier
   "had a rattling conversation about politics";
   - fantastic, grand, howling [informal], marvelous [US], marvellous [Brit, Cdn], terrific, tremendous, wonderful, wondrous, phenomenal, epic [slang], magnificent, heavenly [informal]
    
2. Quick and energetic
   "travelling at a rattling rate";
   - alert, brisk, lively, merry, snappy [informal], spanking [informal], zippy [informal]

1. Used as an intensifier
   "a rattling good yarn";
   - very, really, real [N. Amer, informal], thoroughly, cracking [Brit, informal], dirty [Brit, informal], mucho [informal], rotten [informal], massively [informal], jolly [Brit, informal], magnificently, splendidly, awesomely [informal], tremendously [informal]

1. Make short successive sounds
   "The windows rattled during the storm"
    
2. Shake and cause to make a rattling noise
   "The wind rattled the windows"
    
3. [informal] Disturb the composure of
   "Good, it shouldn't rattle him at all";
   - faze, unnerve, enervate, unsettle

Derived forms: rattlings

See also: energetic, extraordinary, jaw [informal], rattle off

Type of: agitate, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, go, noise, shake, sound, untune [rare], upset

Encyclopedia: Rattle, Derbyshire