ragtag

American  

[rag-tag] / ˈrægˌtæg /

adjective

1. ragged or shabby; disheveled.

2. made up of mixed, often diverse, elements.

   a ragtag crowd.

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ragtag British  

/ ˈræɡˌtæɡ /

noun

1. derogatory the common people; rabble (esp in the phrase ragtag and bobtail )

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Etymology

Origin of ragtag

First recorded in 1880–85; rag ¹ + tag ¹

Explanation

A ragtag is a disorganized or motley group of people. When a parade marching band is described as a ragtag, it probably has mismatched outfits and an odd collection of instruments. The noun ragtag comes from the old-fashioned phrase rag, tag, and bobtail — bobtail was once slang for "contemptible rascal," while tag was used to mean "torn cloth." Together, the phrase meant "riffraff" or "an unsavory bunch of folks." Today, you're more likely to see ragtag used as an adjective, as it is in the musical "Hamilton," in which the Continental Army is described as "a ragtag volunteer army in need of a shower."

Example Sentences

They entered the global stage as Yemen descended into civil war more than a decade ago when the ragtag militia fighters stormed Sanaa and ousted the government from most population centres.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

His heroics sent the Americans to a thrilling, 2-1 victory over Canada, 46 years to the day since a ragtag bunch of amateurs upset the Soviet Union in the Miracle on Ice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Made on a modest budget, the film follows a ragtag group of final-year students at Delhi's School of Planning and Architecture as they drift, stall and inch toward graduation.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

“The stuff that I’ve been seeing in the videos,” Kerlikowske said, “has been just ragtag, random.”

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

Fifteen years ago he was the manager of a mud show: a ragtag group of pellagra-riddled performers dragged from town to town by miserable thrush-hoofed horses.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen