ragged

American  

[rag-id] / ˈræg ɪd /

adjective

1. clothed in tattered garments.

   a ragged old man.

   Synonyms:

   poor, shabby

   Antonyms:

   neat

2. torn or worn to rags; rag; tattered.

   ragged clothing.

3. shaggy, as an animal, its coat, etc.

4. having loose or hanging shreds or fragmentary bits.

   a ragged wound.

5. full of rough or sharp projections; jagged.

   ragged stones.

6. in a wild or neglected state.

   a ragged garden.

7. rough, imperfect, or faulty.

   a ragged piece of work.

8. harsh, as sound, the voice, etc.

9. (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.

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ragged British  

/ ˈræɡɪd /

adjective

1. (of clothes) worn to rags; tattered

2. (of a person) dressed in shabby tattered clothes

3. having a neglected or unkempt appearance

   ragged weeds

4. having a loose, rough, or uneven surface or edge; jagged

5. uneven or irregular

   a ragged beat

   a ragged shout

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ragged Idioms  

1. see run one ragged.

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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

He frowned and blew his red nose on a ragged bandanna.

From Literature

He’s looked a little ragged in recent weeks, and though Maye said this week he will be “just fine,” the status of his shoulder is undeniably Patriots freakout topic No. 1.

From The Wall Street Journal

On a pitch which ragged at the R Premadasa Stadium, however, it was the degrees of turn offered by the ball which provided the focus on this occasion.

From BBC

They guzzled the drinks down, quenching their ragged throats.

From Literature

Facing obstacles – be they ragged clothes that triggered childhood bullying or high school classmates who ridiculed her for favoring country music over The Beatles – became a way of life for Dolly.

From Salon