Synonyms

rags

British

/ ræɡz /

plural noun

torn, old, or shabby clothing
cotton or linen cloth waste used in the manufacture of rag paper
informal
1. from poverty to great wealth
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a rags-to-riches tale
informal best clothes; finery

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The putrid chamber drama becomes a fantasia, befouled rags turn into tuxedo pants and it’s finally safe to belt how they feel.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

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

A "large" sewer blockage caused by "fat, grease and rags" has forced the cancellation of a Bryan Adams concert in Australia on public health grounds.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025

The Bill Gates origin story isn't rags to riches.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2025

I hadn’t noticed all the other noise, but servants were coming and going, bringing dishes and trays and buckets and rags.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023