ragged
Americanadjective
-
clothed in tattered garments.
a ragged old man.
- Antonyms:
- neat
-
torn or worn to rags; rag; tattered.
ragged clothing.
-
shaggy, as an animal, its coat, etc.
-
having loose or hanging shreds or fragmentary bits.
a ragged wound.
-
full of rough or sharp projections; jagged.
ragged stones.
-
in a wild or neglected state.
a ragged garden.
-
rough, imperfect, or faulty.
a ragged piece of work.
-
harsh, as sound, the voice, etc.
-
(of a column of type) set or printed with one side unjustified; either flush left with the right side unjustified ragged right or flush right with the left side unjustified ragged left.
adjective
-
(of clothes) worn to rags; tattered
-
(of a person) dressed in shabby tattered clothes
-
having a neglected or unkempt appearance
ragged weeds
-
having a loose, rough, or uneven surface or edge; jagged
-
uneven or irregular
a ragged beat
a ragged shout
Other Word Forms
- raggedly adverb
- raggedness noun
Etymology
Origin of ragged
First recorded in 1250–1300, ragged is from the Middle English word ragget. See rag 1, -ed 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He lifted out the dirtiest, most ragged pair of britches I had ever seen in my life.
From Literature
But the Pumas, run ragged by the 12-month demands on their star players, were also at less than full strength.
From BBC
With a ragged breath, she reaches out one hand to touch the air where Camille stood.
From Literature
Stumbling slightly in the ragged grass, he began moving through the hoopberry trees, dodging the twisted, hanging branches.
From Literature
He frowned and blew his red nose on a ragged bandanna.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
