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.

---

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

---

ragged Idioms  

1. see run one ragged.

---

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

There were times when the bowling was ragged and part-time off-spinner Will Jacks struggled to contain.

From BBC

I thought he was excellent on the day and Spurs couldn't live with him - he ran them ragged.

From BBC

The drops were part of a ragged day for England at the Gabba, a ground where they have not won since 1986.

From BBC

DeMond Chambliss used to run himself ragged with the small contracting business he owned in Columbus, Ohio: hanging drywall, chasing clients for payments and managing half a dozen employees.

From The Wall Street Journal

It has gray, ragged fur, with burning red boils on its exposed skin.

From Literature