ragù

American

[rah-goo, ra-goo] / rɑˈgu, ræˈgu /

noun

Italian.

a rich, slow-cooked sauce for pasta consisting primarily of meat.

a sausage and tomato ragù.

Etymology

Origin of ragù

1955–60; < Italian, from French ragoût ragout ( def. )

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.

Classically paired with long-simmered meat-rich sauces, they “blend better” with a complex ragù, says Bacco’s chef, Ruggiero Doronzo, a Barletta native.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

The horse ragù was surprisingly delicious—tender and rich.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

They have a ragù as well as a rigatoni that’s tasty.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2024

There are the Bugs Bunny-esque orange guys, which I've grated into a variety of weeknight dishes like brothy beans, fried rice and a quick ragù.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2022

The dinner menu includes family recipes, like Nonna’s genovese ragù with fusilli grosso, and popular Italian fare like meatballs, fried artichokes, Caesar salad, spaghetti with clams, eggplant parm and chicken Milanese.

From New York Times • May 10, 2022

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