ragged

[ rag-id ]

/ ˈræg ɪd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ragged ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

clothed in tattered garments: a ragged old man.

torn or worn to rags; tattered: ragged clothing.

shaggy, as an animal, its coat, etc.

having loose or hanging shreds or fragmentary bits: a ragged wound.

full of rough or sharp projections; jagged: ragged stones.

in a wild or neglected state: a ragged garden.

rough, imperfect, or faulty: a ragged piece of work.

harsh, as sound, the voice, etc.

(of a column of type) set or printed with one side unjustified; either flush left with the right side unjustified (ragged right) or flush right with the left side unjustified (ragged left).

Origin of ragged

First recorded in 1250–1300, ragged is from the Middle English word ragget. See rag¹, -ed³

SYNONYMS FOR ragged

1 shabby, poor.

2 shredded, rent.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ragged ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR ragged

1 neat.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR ragged ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM ragged

rag·ged·ly, adverb rag·ged·ness, noun

Words nearby ragged

ragdoll, rage, rage quit, ragfish, ragga, ragged, ragged edge, ragged jacket, ragged robin, ragged school, raggedy

Definition for ragged (2 of 4)

rag ²

[ rag ]

/ ræg /

Informal.

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

to scold.

to subject to a teasing, especially in an intense or prolonged way (often followed by on): Some of the boys were ragging on him about his haircut.

British. to torment with jokes; play crude practical jokes on.

noun

British. an act of ragging.

Origin of rag

First recorded in 1790–1800; origin uncertain

Definition for ragged (3 of 4)

rag ³

[ rag ]

/ ræg /

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

to break up (lumps of ore) for sorting.

Origin of rag

First recorded in 1870–75; origin uncertain

Definition for ragged (4 of 4)

rag ⁴

[ rag ]

/ ræg /

noun

a musical composition in ragtime: a piano rag.

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

to play (music) in ragtime.

Origin of rag

⁴

First recorded in 1895–1900; shortened form of ragtime

Example sentences from the Web for ragged

The low crunch of packed dirt against rubber tire was overwhelmed by the ragged explosions of automatic gunfire.

A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo |Nina Strochlic |November 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
We are sitting in a ragged park behind a McDonalds restaurant on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.

Corruption Eats Away at Ukraine Military |Charles McPhedran |October 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Beneath the layers of hurt, beneath the ragged laughter, I heard awillingness to endure.

Billie Holiday, Barack Obama, and the Pain of Black Women |Joshua DuBois |June 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The creation has a feathery train and a ragged flow of ruffled panels, which create the body of the dress and extend to the floor.

Here Comes the Bride…In Flaming Red: Two Centuries of Colorful Wedding Dresses |Liza Foreman |May 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Have you noticed how ragged and patched their clothes are?

Warren Jeffs' Flock in Denial |Carol McKinley |August 5, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
At the mouth of the sack was a fortunate piece of cord, threaded through a circle of ragged holes.

The House by the River |A. P. Herbert
He sagged and swayed for an instant; there was a ghastly, ragged, spongy gap between his shoulders.

The Red Debt |Everett MacDonald
Figures tumbled out of it, in torn and ragged garments fashioned in the style of the very best tailors of the Earths underworld.

The Fifth-Dimension Tube |William Fitzgerald Jenkins
In half an hour we came upon a group of ragged poor creatures who had assembled to mend the thing which was regarded as a road.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Complete |Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Many trees had been cut, but there remained enough for shade; the fields bore the ragged, unattractive appearance of old.

The Harvester |Gene Stratton Porter

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (1 of 5)

ragged

/ (ˈræɡɪd) /

adjective

(of clothes) worn to rags; tattered

(of a person) dressed in shabby tattered clothes

having a neglected or unkempt appearance ragged weeds

having a loose, rough, or uneven surface or edge; jagged

uneven or irregular a ragged beat; a ragged shout

Derived forms of ragged

raggedly, adverb raggedness, noun

Word Origin for ragged

C13: probably from ragge rag 1

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (2 of 5)

rag ¹

/ (ræɡ) /

noun

a small piece of cloth, such as one torn from a discarded garment, or such pieces of cloth collectively
(as modifier)a rag doll; a rag book; rag paper

a fragmentary piece of any material; scrap; shred

informal a newspaper or other journal, esp one considered as worthless, sensational, etc

informal an item of clothing

informal a handkerchief

British slang esp nautical a flag or ensign

lose one's rag to lose one's temper suddenly

Word Origin for rag

C14: probably back formation from ragged, from Old English raggig; related to Old Norse rögg tuft

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (3 of 5)

rag ²

/ (ræɡ) /

verb rags, ragging or ragged (tr)

to draw attention facetiously and persistently to the shortcomings or alleged shortcomings of (a person)

British to play rough practical jokes on

noun

British a boisterous practical joke, esp one on a fellow student

(in British universities)

a period, usually a week, in which various events are organized to raise money for charity, including a procession of decorated floats and tableaux
(as modifier)rag day

Word Origin for rag

C18: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (4 of 5)

rag ³

/ (ræɡ) jazz /

noun

a piece of ragtime music

verb rags, ragging or ragged

(tr) to compose or perform in ragtime

Word Origin for rag

C20: shortened from ragtime

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (5 of 5)

rag ⁴

/ (ræɡ) /

noun

a roofing slate that is rough on one side

Word Origin for rag

C13: of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases with ragged (1 of 2)

ragged

see run one ragged.

Idioms and Phrases with ragged (2 of 2)

rag

In addition to the idiom beginning with rag

rag doll

also see:

chew the fat (rag)
from rags to riches
glad rags
run ragged

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

ragged

adjective

Origin of ragged

SYNONYMS FOR ragged

ANTONYMS FOR ragged

OTHER WORDS FROM ragged

Words nearby ragged

Definition for ragged (2 of 4)

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

noun

Origin of rag

Definition for ragged (3 of 4)

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

Origin of rag

Definition for ragged (4 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

Origin of rag

Words related to ragged

Example sentences from the Web for ragged

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (1 of 5)

adjective

Derived forms of ragged

Word Origin for ragged

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (2 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for rag

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (3 of 5)

verb rags, ragging or ragged (tr)

noun

Word Origin for rag

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (4 of 5)

noun

verb rags, ragging or ragged

Word Origin for rag

British Dictionary definitions for ragged (5 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for rag

Idioms and Phrases with ragged (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with ragged (2 of 2)