rags

British  

/ ræɡz /

plural noun

1. torn, old, or shabby clothing

2. cotton or linen cloth waste used in the manufacture of rag paper

3. informal

   1. from poverty to great wealth

   2. ( as modifier )

      a rags-to-riches tale

4. informal best clothes; finery

---

Example Sentences

With the mayor’s vocal support, Mr. Bratton put broken-windows policing to work, arresting “squeegee men” who smeared dirty rags across motorists’ windshields, holding them hostage for a “contribution.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

That he hails from such a region has fuelled the rags to riches aspect of his story.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

The tighter scope and folksy approach — from a score with more spare acoustic guitar than sweeping orchestral numbers and an abundance of drab peasant rags over plush regal garb — is refreshing, at first.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

We say that the “Cinderella” story is rags to riches, but in all versions, especially the European ones, she is a noble girl put into the kitchen by her wicked stepmother.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025

Straw and dirt, pots and dishes and rags.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff