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Webster 1913 Edition

Ragged

Rag′ged

(răg′gĕd)
,
Adj.
[From
Rag
,
Noun.
]
1.
Rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken;
as, a
ragged
coat; a
ragged
sail.
2.
Broken with rough edges; having jags; uneven; rough; jagged;
as,
ragged
rocks
.
3.
Hence, harsh and disagreeable to the ear; dissonant.
[R.]
“A ragged noise of mirth.”
Herbert.
4.
Wearing tattered clothes;
as, a
ragged
fellow
.
5.
Rough; shaggy; rugged.
What shepherd owns those
ragged
sheep?
Dryden.
Ragged lady
(Bot.)
,
the fennel flower (
Nigella Damascena
).
–
Ragged robin
(Bot.)
,
a plant of the genus
Lychnis
(
Lychnis Flos-cuculi
), cultivated for its handsome flowers, which have the petals cut into narrow lobes.
–
Ragged sailor
(Bot.)
,
prince’s feather (
Polygonum orientale
).
–
Ragged school
,
a free school for poor children, where they are taught and in part fed; – a name given at first because they came in their common clothing.
[Eng.]
–
Rag′ged-ly
,
adv.
–
Rag′ged-ness
,
Noun.

Webster 1828 Edition

Ragged

RAG'GED

,
Adj.
[from rag.]
1.
Rent or worn into tatters, or till its texture is broken; as a ragged coat; a ragged sail.
2.
Broken with rough edges; uneven; as a ragged rock.
3.
Having the appearance of being broken or torn; jagged; rough with sharp or irregular points.
The moon appears, when looked upon through a good glass, rude and ragged.
4.
Wearing tattered clothes; as a ragged fellow.
5.
Rough; rugged.
What shepherd owns those ragged sheep?

Definition 2024

ragged

ragged

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: răg'ĭd, IPA(key): /ˈræɡɪd/

Adjective

ragged ‎(comparative more ragged, superlative most ragged)

  1. In tatters, having the texture broken.
    a ragged coat
    a ragged sail
  2. Having rough edges; jagged or uneven
    ragged rocks
  3. Harsh-sounding; having an unpleasant noise
  4. Wearing tattered clothes.
    a ragged fellow
  5. Rough; shaggy; rugged.
    • (Can we date this quote?), John Dryden.
      What shepherd owns those ragged sheep?
  6. Faulty; lacking in skill, reliability, or organization.
    • 2010, Dall Wilson, Alice Nielsen and the Gayety of Nations, ISBN 0557473675, page 318:
      Now I realize how ridiculous and almost impertinent it was to expect New Yorkers to accept such a ragged performance for they have always demanded the best and do not tolerate the second-rate."
    • 2012 May 19, Paul fletcher, “Blackpool 1-2 West Ham”, in BBC Sport:
      Allardyce's side had led at the break through a Carlton Cole strike but after Thomas Ince - son of former Hammers midfielder Paul - levelled shortly after the restart, the match became increasingly stretched and ragged.
    • 2013, William J. Taylor, ‎Eric T. Olson, & ‎Richard A. Schrader, Defense Manpower Planning: Issues for the 1980s, ISBN 1483182347, page 219:
      Despite the apparent general viability of the AVF its ragged performance serves to motivate serious questions concerning its future viability, the quality of the defense that we are buying, and the AVF's effect on our nation and society.
  7. (music) performed in a syncopated manner, especially in ragtime.
Translations
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From rag

Pronunciation

  • enPR: răgd, IPA(key): /ræɡd/

Verb

ragged

  1. simple past tense and past participle of rag

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English, from North Germanic. Compare with Old Norse rǫgvathr ‎(“tufted”) and Norwegian ragget ‎(“shaggy”).

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