scraggly

adjective

ˈskra-g(ə-)lē How to pronounce scraggly (audio)
Definition of scragglynext
as in jagged
having an uneven edge or outline a scraggly little tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 scraggly Rosemary's natural shape is scraggly and wild, but it can be clipped into a hedge or topiary. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 May 2026 Another scrub-jay came to join, then the pair darted into a scraggly bush. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026 In rock climbing, a few such traits include longer fingers, shorter forearms, and scraggly wrists, all of which might help a climber clutch at tiny crimps in the rock with substantially more ease. — Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 At his dining-room table, in a new home in a scraggly stretch of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward, Rob toggled between Facebook and WhatsApp on both his phone and laptop. — Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scraggly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scraggly
  1. jagged
  2. ragged
Adjective
  • But a little more than a minute after launch, the shuttle exploded, sending jagged plumes across the sky creating an image that would be seared into collective memory.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike oyster mushrooms, however, hen of the woods have a darker brown hue and the edges of the mushrooms are more scalloped and jagged than rounded.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of jagged
Adjective
  • At 43, Laferte’s vocal cords have reached a decadent peak — angry and ragged, deliciously wounded.
    — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Leaving ragged, uneven stem ends behind may help introduce disease to your lily plants.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 July 2026
Definition of ragged

Browse Nearby Words

scragging
scraggly
scraggy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scraggly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scraggly. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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