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

See Examples For:

ragtag

But the focus was the music itself on Friday, and the ragtag roster of artists that fully conjured it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Jo is thinking warm, bucolic thoughts as she observes the ragtag procession.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

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

A ragtag group took to the Straits of Florida on a speedboat, wanting to spark a rebellion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026

They are ragtag desperadoes with nothing to lose.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr