bedraggled

adjective

be·​drag·​gled bi-ˈdra-gəld 

bē-

1

: soiled and stained by or as if by trailing in mud

2

: left wet and limp by or as if by rain

3

: dilapidated

bedraggled buildings

Synonyms of bedraggled

• dripping
• saturated
• wet
• bathed
• washed
• soaked
• flooded
• soaking
• sodden

Examples of bedraggled in a Sentence

She was bedraggled and exhausted.

the cat looked rather funny, all bedraggled and fit to be tied after her bath

Recent Examples on the Web

Mary is bedraggled and wet, begging for a gown for a comeback performance in a few days. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026

Mary is bedraggled and wet, begging for a gown for a comeback performance in a few days. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026

What Meyerson got in the first ALF where DCF deposited her was a bedraggled patio, plastic furniture, holes in the walls. —Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026

The fairy-tale qualities continue as Betty shows off the contents of her bedraggled herb garden to her new ward, plucking out an edible flower for Laura to sample. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of bedraggle

First Known Use

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bedraggled

• straggled
• waggled

Kids Definition

bedraggled

adjective

be·​drag·​gled bi-ˈdrag-əld 

: limp, soggy, or dirty from or as if from rain or mud