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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rags

It and other rags insinuate the problem, As Ever, is the royal formerly known as Meghan Markle.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

But, ever resourceful, she turned those limited resources into an advantage - creating her iconic fishnet gloves from rags and cast-offs.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

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

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

Large families lived in small, crude lean-tos with dirt floors and roofs made of banana bark thatch, often patched with rags to stop leaks during the rainy season.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French