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ragged

ragged

16 3.2
Old, torn clothes that are in poor condition
  • adjective
  • /ˈræɡɪd/
translation icon : andrajoso
  • There were three or four men with him, wearing ragged straw cowboy hats and dirty denim clothes.
  • ragged clothing
  • ragged old man
  • old and ragged

Examples

  • To demonstrate their plight, they even showed him their ragged clothing and starving children.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The boy wore a ragged shirt with holes and frayed edges.

  • * He was just a ragged soldier out there in the cold *

  • You never saw a ragged starving man in the refugee lines of Europe.

  • Your men are pretty ragged, Stryker.

  • In fact, all he had on was a short, ragged pair of breeches.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • His clothes were filthy and ragged; his hair the color of bleached straw.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Gasps filled the amphitheater as the sooty, ragged children were revealed.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • They were disturbingly thin and dressed in rags, many having left their armor behind in the snow.

  • "Ebenezer Scrooge hurried past the ragged boys who stood shivering in the snow, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold, as bones are gnawed by dogs."

Synonyms

torn
vsragged
34 1.0

Having edges that are ripped and uneven

describes general poor condition not limited to ripped edges
mangy
vsragged
  • Offensive
28 6.5

Worn and dirty, in bad condition

means worn or shabby in appearance without animal implication
ratty
vsragged
  • Informal
19 5.4

Looking worn and dirty from use

covers poor condition due to wear without implying dirtiness
raggedy
vsragged
  • Informal
12 4.0

Something that looks worn, torn, and messy

means clothing or appearance showing damage and neglect generally
frayed
vsragged
6 4.1

Cloth edges that are worn and have loose threads

focuses on whole items being worn rather than only edge wear
tattered
vsragged
4 4.1

Old and torn clothes or fabric with loose threads

is clothing or people in poor condition from wear or neglect
tatty
vsragged
  • UK
2 6.0

Worn and in poor condition because of age or heavy use

emphasizes general damage and wear rather than heavy tearing
shreddy
vsragged
7.2

Cloth with loose torn threads and a ragged, worn look

is a broader poor condition without many loose shreds
raggy
vsragged
4.2

Appears torn or worn, like old clothes with holes

refers to clothes or people in poor shape from use
raggie
vsragged
  • UK
9.9

Having old torn clothes and looking untidy

applies to worn clothing or people without stress on informality

Antonyms

new
1.0

In original condition and never used before

304 3.7

Whole and not damaged or missing any parts

7 1.8

Neat and in good condition because someone looks after it

Compounds

1 8.3

A flowering plant with pink, frilly petals that grows in damp meadows

An orchid from the eastern United States with greenish flowers and a deeply cut lip

8.7

A greenish wildflower that has a fringed, deeply cut lower petal and grows in the eastern United States

9.9

A small orchid from the eastern United States with greenish flowers and a fringed, deeply cut lip

How Worn

tattered
4 4.1
ragged
16 3.2
shabby
33 2.5
worn
4 2.1
new
1.0

Surface Forms

ragged positive
raggeder comparative
raggedest superlative

Morphology

ragged = rag (transparent) = rag + ed

Clothes described as 'ragged' are plainly those that look like rags (torn or worn), a direct and regular adjectival formation.

Etymology

Ragged comes from rag ('a torn or old piece of cloth') plus the ending -ed. It was used for people who wore rags, so ragged now means clothes that are 'worn out' or torn.