ragged

adjective

rag·​ged ˈra-gəd 

1

: roughly unkempt

2

: having an irregular edge or outline

3

a

: torn or worn to tatters

b

: worn-out from stress and strain

ran herself ragged

4

: wearing tattered clothes

5

a

: straggly

b

: executed in an irregular or uneven manner

c

of a sound : harsh, dissonant

raggedly adverb

raggedness noun

Synonyms of ragged

• jagged

Examples of ragged in a Sentence

a boy in ragged jeans

You look a little ragged—did you have a rough week?

Recent Examples on the Web

Though few natural-history buffs realize it, many of them have admired the handiwork of this unusual company, located in the ragged outskirts of Oklahoma City, for decades. —Jeff Wilson, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026

With 10 goals scored and countless opponents run ragged, Agyemang has helped propel an unlikely push for promotion. —Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Daniel Arnold—whose street work picks up from Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz, but with a ragged edge of comic mayhem—goes wild on one of the show’s large walls. —Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026

Use clean, sharp pruners to cut a smooth edge right above a living bud, lateral branch, or along the trunk where there is a ragged break. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ragged

• on the ragged edge
• ragged robin
• run (someone) ragged

Kids Definition

ragged

adjective

rag·​ged ˈrag-əd 

1

: having a rough or uneven edge or outline

ragged cliffs

2

a

: torn or worn to or as if to tatters

a ragged dress

b

: wearing tattered clothes

a ragged child

3

: done in an uneven way

a ragged performance

raggedly adverb

raggedness noun