ragged
Americanadjective
-
clothed in tattered garments.
a ragged old man.
- Antonyms:
- neat
-
torn or worn to rags; 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
Etymology
Origin of ragged
First recorded in 1250–1300, ragged is from the Middle English word ragget. See rag 1, -ed 3
Explanation
Something that's ragged is starting to fall apart. When your favorite sweater is getting ragged, it's so worn that the sleeves are fraying. You'll often see ragged describing clothing or a person's tendency to dress in torn, ratty clothes. Your grandmother might talk about the ragged little boy in her neighborhood, who always wears a dirty t-shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. You might put on your comfortable sweatpants only to realize they've gotten a little ragged, frayed around the waistband.
Vocabulary lists containing ragged
"Eleven"
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Chains
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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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.
Ragged character motivations and unbelievable plot developments are everywhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Rob Davies placed notices in his Run Ragged vintage shop in Wrexham, informing customers "due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets".
From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025
A nearly 20-mile stretch between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and Mill Creek in Monterey County is scheduled to reopen Sunday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2023
Ragged cliffs of ice tilted 50 meters up into the air, exposing deep layers that had not seen daylight for thousands of years.
From Scientific American • Oct. 18, 2022
Ragged beards of ice grew down the spears clasped in their snowy fists.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
