rag

¹ American  

[rag] / ræg /

noun

1. a worthless piece of cloth, especially one that is torn or worn.

2. rags, ragged or tattered clothing.

   The tramp was dressed in rags.

3. any article of apparel regarded deprecatingly or self-deprecatingly, especially a dress.

   It's just an old rag I had in the closet.

4. a shred, scrap, or fragmentary bit of anything.

5. Informal.

   1. something of very low value or in very poor condition.

   2. a newspaper or magazine regarded with contempt or distaste.

      Are you still subscribing to that rag?

6. a person of shabby or exhausted appearance.

7. a large roofing slate that has one edge untrimmed.

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idioms

1. chew the rag. chew.

2. from rags to riches, from extreme poverty to great wealth.

   He went from rags to riches in only three years.

rag ² American  

[rag] / ræg /

verb (used without object)

ragged, ragging

1. to subject a person to teasing or scolding, especially in an intense or prolonged way (usually followed byon ).

   Some of the boys were ragging on him about his haircut.

2. to criticize a person or thing (usually followed byon ): I wish reviewers would stop ragging on the movie.

   He rags and whines to me instead of fixing the problem.

   I wish reviewers would stop ragging on the movie.

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verb (used with object)

ragged, ragging

1. to subject to teasing or scolding, especially in an intense or prolonged way.

   He was ragged at school for not joining a sports team.

2. to criticize.

3. British. to torment with jokes; play crude practical jokes on.

noun

1. British. an act of ragging; a cruel or crude practical joke.

rag ³ American  

[rag] / ræg /

verb (used with object)

ragged, ragging

1. to break up (lumps of ore) for sorting.

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rag ⁴ American  

[rag] / ræg /

noun

1. a musical composition in ragtime.

   a piano rag.

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verb (used with object)

ragged, ragging

1. to play (music) in ragtime.

rag ¹ British  

/ ræɡ /

noun

1. 1. a small piece of cloth, such as one torn from a discarded garment, or such pieces of cloth collectively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a rag doll

      a rag book

      rag paper

2. a fragmentary piece of any material; scrap; shred

3. informal a newspaper or other journal, esp one considered as worthless, sensational, etc

4. informal an item of clothing

5. informal a handkerchief

6. slang nautical a flag or ensign

7. to lose one's temper suddenly

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rag ² British  

/ ræɡ /

verb

1. to draw attention facetiously and persistently to the shortcomings or alleged shortcomings of (a person)

2. to play rough practical jokes on

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noun

1. a boisterous practical joke, esp one on a fellow student

2. 1. a period, usually a week, in which various events are organized to raise money for charity, including a procession of decorated floats and tableaux

   2. ( as modifier )

      rag day

rag ³ British  

/ ræɡ /

noun

1. a piece of ragtime music

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verb

1. (tr) to compose or perform in ragtime

rag ⁴ British  

/ ræɡ /

noun

1. a roofing slate that is rough on one side

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rag More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rag

• chew the fat (rag)
• from rags to riches
• glad rags
• run ragged

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Etymology

Origin of rag¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English ragge, from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian, Swedish ragg “coarse hair,” from Old Norse rǫgg

Origin of rag²

First recorded in 1735–40; origin uncertain

Origin of rag³

First recorded in 1870–75; origin uncertain

Origin of rag⁴

First recorded in 1895–1900; shortened form of ragtime

Explanation

A torn bit of old fabric is a rag. You might use a rag to dust the bookshelf or scrub the bathtub, but you wouldn't want to wear one. If your clothes are torn and dirty, they're also rags, and from the sense of "worthless scrap," trashy or low quality newspapers have also long been called rags. A rag is also a somewhat annoying joke, and to rag someone is to annoy or harass them. The phrase "from rags to riches" describes a classic and deeply satisfying storyline: the tale of a poor person who becomes gloriously rich.

Example Sentences

As yields act as a red rag on both sides of the Atlantic, it will be tough for the market to carry on charging higher.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

WHP Global is home to brands like rag & bone, G-Star, and Vera Wang.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

“You were in the rag trade, but then your child or grandchild moved up and created this civic and philanthropic energy that came from that feeling of America as a refuge. That is really powerful.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Forlorn but oddly hopeful, Sally became the film’s most empathetic character, thanks in part to the depth that O’Hara lent to the sort-of animated rag doll.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Naima dunked the rag in the half-empty pail of water her sister was carrying.

From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• needle