rag doll

American  

noun

1. a stuffed doll, especially of cloth.

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rag doll Idioms  

1. A limp, ineffectual person, as in You won't get a decision from her; she's a rag doll when it comes to making up her mind. This expression transfers the limpness of a soft doll made from scraps of cloth to human behavior. [Mid-1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of rag doll

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rag doll

"I didn't recognise the men. Or this woman. Her cheek was so flabby. Her mouth so limp. She was like a rag doll," writes the 73-year-old, according to the French-language version.

From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 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

The word “empathy” gets thrown around like a rag doll.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025

"You held him like a rag doll, didn't you," barrister Gordon Cole KC asked Ives.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025

Momma and other ladies caught him in time to bring him back to the bench, where he quickly folded upon himself like a Br’er Rabbit rag doll.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou