ragged 1 of 2

1
as in jagged
having an uneven edge or outline the Rocky Mountains cut an angular, ragged profile against the sky, in contrast to the rounded silhouette of the rolling, green Adirondack Mountains

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2
3
4
as in raggedy
wearing torn or worn-out clothes ragged and hungry refugees emerging from the jungle where they had been in hiding for weeks

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ragged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of rag

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ragged
Adjective
Doncic had a ragged shooting night, making 6 of 17 field goal attempts and 1 for 7 from 3-point range. Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 26 Feb. 2025 Put all those elements together and Spurs are suddenly a very different prospect from the exhausted, ragged group that trudged from game to game not very long ago. Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 Is there something about the needy Anja and her ragged child that the barren Isabell responds to? Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025 Helena reached the microlight, adjusted her ponytail, and then climbed into the back seat, as the birds flew in ragged circles nearby. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ragged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ragged
Adjective
  • For the next hour or so, several of them will summit various routes along the cliff's steep, jagged face.
    Sean Clancy, Arkansas Online, 12 May 2025
  • Grok 3: The wind howled through the jagged spires of the Frostfang Reaches, carrying a chill that bit deeper than any blade, and Ser Willem Cray felt its teeth in his bones.
    Kelsey Piper, Vox, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • The bottom half of the dog's body stayed pinned underneath a tattered couch on a pile of trash as flies circled him.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The other traditional party, the Liberal Party, has splintered between those who remain loyal to Zelaya and those who led the coup, including Mauricio Villeda, the presidential candidate who leads a tattered vestige of his party.
    Dana Frank, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2013
Adjective
  • John’s piano and vocals, thankfully, were front and center, and did not suffer from uneven mixing.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • For instance, the automaker heard customers say the cup holders were hard to use because the front console was uneven and the cup holders weren’t flexible enough to hold different sizes and types of vessels.
    Kristin Shaw, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Offering a 23% concentration of pure vitamin C, this formula delivers some serious brightening benefits, resulting in a more even-looking complexion and faded hyperpigmentation.
    Denise Primbet, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Everything below that will be flooded, according to IPCC predictions, so his maps show those areas as underwater, with what’s land today shown as a faded layer.
    Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That won’t necessarily solve the spacing issues on the offensive end, but Looney is often Kerr’s counter in rugged environments and could help shore up the defensive issues that are becoming more troubling.
    Anthony Slater, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • Nestled against a mountainside in the rugged Alatau region surrounding Almaty, Kazakhstan, Mazhitova’s home is indeed singular, bringing to mind the cavelike villas designed by maverick French architect Jacques Couëlle in the 1950s and ’60s, or the rustic dwellings of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
    Amy Bradford, Architectural Digest, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • But it must be remembered that even the best bullpen has at least one rough stretch in a season.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • Its new pricing could be an effort to attract American car buyers after rough Q1.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to his hands, Smith has an extensive injury history, including a broken fibula, a torn meniscus, a fractured wrist and a high-ankle sprain.
    Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
  • Conservatives quickly lambasted Bondi for broken promises.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Some of Mangione's supporters have left messages of praise for him, while others have criticized the fundraising efforts.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Bo French, the chairman of the Tarrant County, Texas, GOP, criticized Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, alleging that an emphasis on DEI programs had undermined the military's effectiveness.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Ragged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ragged. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

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