1
: roughly unkempt
2
: having an irregular edge or outline
3
a
: torn or worn to tatters
b
: worn-out from stress and strain
ran herself ragged
4
: wearing tattered clothes
raggedly
adverb
raggedness
noun
Examples of ragged in a Sentence
a boy in ragged jeans
You look a little ragged—did you have a rough week?
Recent Examples on the Web
Carl Wanderer was sentenced to hang for killing the unnamed ragged stranger.
—
Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2024
While the Barry star is great here, the episode actually belongs to Mia Isaac and the terrifying Amy Ruggiero as an escaped patient named Alice Taylor, who appears at a hospital one night in a ragged state, unable to close her mouth.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
Some of our favorite experiences were parking right on the water at Lake Powell, Arizona, camping along the ragged mountains by California’s Alabama Hills, and driving around the grassy hillsides in New York’s wine region.
—Steve Adcock, Contributor, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2024
While rodents such as squirrels may chew small ragged marks on pumpkin skins, just one deer can eat most, if not all, of a large pumpkin in one visit.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ragged 
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.
Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2024
While the Barry star is great here, the episode actually belongs to Mia Isaac and the terrifying Amy Ruggiero as an escaped patient named Alice Taylor, who appears at a hospital one night in a ragged state, unable to close her mouth.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
Some of our favorite experiences were parking right on the water at Lake Powell, Arizona, camping along the ragged mountains by California’s Alabama Hills, and driving around the grassy hillsides in New York’s wine region.
—Steve Adcock, Contributor, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2024
While rodents such as squirrels may chew small ragged marks on pumpkin skins, just one deer can eat most, if not all, of a large pumpkin in one visit.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ragged
Dictionary Entries Near ragged
Cite this Entry
“Ragged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragged. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ragged
adjective
rag·ged
ˈrag-əd 
1
: having a rough or uneven edge or outline
ragged cliffs
2
a
: torn or worn to or as if to tatters
a ragged dress
b
: wearing tattered clothes
a ragged child
3
: done in an uneven way
a ragged performance
raggedly
adverb
raggedness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share