jagged
Americanadjective
-
having ragged notches, points, or teeth; zigzag.
the jagged edge of a saw; a jagged wound.
-
having a harsh, rough, or uneven quality.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- jaggedly adverb
- jaggedness noun
- unjagged adjective
Etymology
Origin of jagged
Explanation
Something is jagged when it has an uneven edge or quality to it. Teeth can be jagged, saw blades can be jagged, and the edges of leaves can be jagged. Jagged comes from 16th century English/Scottish and originally referred to a cloth, cut in a way so that the edge is not straight, but that is “toothed.” Imagine a tipsy seamstress trying to cut cloth in a straight line, but her sheers stray this way then that. She’s leaving a jagged edge on the cloth. Or perhaps you have a crush on the seamstress, but she is seen kissing another. Here, she’s leaving a jagged wound on your heart.
Vocabulary lists containing jagged
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Long Way Down
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Holes
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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.
The editing, by studio veteran Henry Berman, is jagged and jumpy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
The crescent Earth — our oasis holding everything we cherish, now just a speck in the infinite blackness — seemed to kiss the jagged lunar surface.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Hunters increasingly have to sail farther along the jagged coast of Sisimiut, navigating into the fjords for several hours to find them.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
She is Syria's minister for social affairs and labour - the only female minister in the transitional government tasked with navigating the country's jagged road from war to peace.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026
Standing on jagged rocks, above the crashing water, I wish I could fly over it.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
