scraggly

adjective

scrag·​gly ˈskra-g(ə-)lē 

: irregular in form or growth

scraggly hills

a scraggly beard

also : unkempt

Synonyms of scraggly

• jagged
• ragged

Examples of scraggly in a Sentence

a scraggly little tree

Recent Examples on the Web

The trailer finds Depp gray-haired, with a scraggly beard, eerie eyes and thick accent, getting thrown to the ground and arrested. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

His voice is raspy, and the once-cleanly cut soul patch that defined his look is scraggly and unkempt. — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

In the trailer, Paulson appeared in a blue jacket with scraggly blonde waves and bleached eyebrows—and, very possibly, a few prosthetics. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026

While Gibbons and Hill were known for their long, scraggly beards, Beard himself, somewhat ironically, usually went clean-shaven or only sported a mustache. — CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of scraggling, perhaps irregular from scraggy entry 2

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for scraggly

• straggly

Kids Definition

scraggly

adjective

scrag·​gly ˈskrag-(ə-)lē 

scragglier; scraggliest

: of rough or uneven outline : ragged, unkempt

a scraggly beard