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
Her once ragged fur transformed. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Suddenly, a horde of ragged, bloodied creatures appear, their feet shuffling along the pavement, their hollow eyes locked on fleeing figures ahead. Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025 Blazy exaggerated the frayed hems that Coco Chanel loved into ragged edges by letting the cloth be overtaken slowly with tiny hanging strings of beads. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025 Blades with ragged edges can be a sign of insects chewing on the blades, and tunneling below the surface or turf that can be lifted like a rug can indicate larvae are feeding on the root system. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ragged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ragged
Adjective
  • Rose now realizes the smeared, dark, jagged edges are an abstract human.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • All the shadows and jagged angles evoke German Expressionism, distorting Ronnie’s confrontation into something both surreal and terrifyingly recognizable.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Nearly every panel of the shoe is tattered and torn, including a heel seam that’s coming undone and reveals the inner cork components of the shoe.
    Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
  • By the end of the summer my catalogs were tattered and worn.
    Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Future work will focus on integrating snow-deposition modeling with PV yield simulations to more accurately predict energy losses and on expanding analyses to more complex, uneven alpine terrain.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The Trojans' uneven season hasn't exactly helped slow rumors either.
    Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • This came after Nick Saban jokingly scolded himself for not fielding Sayin during their weeks-long overlap in 2023’s postseason at Alabama.
    Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Trump, then in his first term as president, scolded police in a social media post for not protecting the statue.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • By the years of the Great Depression, the clown came to represent the faded glory of the circus and reflected the weariness felt by so many Americans in crisis.
    Time, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Scherzinger’s only familiarity with the material was Billy Wilder’s 1950 film, which starred Gloria Swanson as a faded beauty of the silent era hell-bent on a return to relevance.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And, importantly, that now-familiar reliable, rugged push.
    Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
  • For instance, it is equipped with a four-wheel independent drive system, providing maximum mobility across complex and rugged terrain.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.
    Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Other government notices mentioned the size and rough location of the construction.
    Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Yams tend to be white fleshed with a rough, brown exterior.
    Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ragged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ragged. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

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