rag

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈrag

Synonyms of rag next

: a waste piece of cloth

rags plural : clothes usually in poor or ragged condition

: clothing

the rag trade

: something resembling a rag

: newspaper

especially : a sleazy newspaper

rag

2 of 5

noun (2)

: any of various hard rocks

: a large roofing slate that is rough on one side

rag

3 of 5

verb

ragged ˈragd

; ragging

transitive verb

: to rail at : scold

: torment, tease

rag

4 of 5

noun (3)

chiefly British

: an outburst of boisterous fun

also : prank

rag

5 of 5

noun (4)

: a composition in ragtime

Phrases

rag on

: to make fun of

Examples of rag in a Sentence

Noun (1) the local rag publishes more gossip than news the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags Verb several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses Noun (3) a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Noun

In the summer of 2000, Katie was 28 years old and living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, working for a little rag named Outside Magazine. —

Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024 Schwimmer aligned with the Haganah, the Jewish underground paramilitary, and put together a rag tag group of WWII vets who defied an American embargo to smuggle 125 military planes and more than 50,000 weapons to Palestine. —

Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024

Verb

Dip a sponge, cloth, or rag into either solution and wipe down the fence to remove debris and stains. —

Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024 People who bite or pick their nails may have short, uneven nails, missing or ragged cuticles, and injured nail folds.10 Environmental Factors Some research shows your environment may influence nail growth. —

Sherri Gordon, Health, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rag

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ragge, from Old English *ragg, from Old Norse rǫgg tuft, shagginess

Noun (2)

Middle English ragge

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (4)

short for ragtime

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1825, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of rag was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rag. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

rag

1 of 3 noun

ˈrag

: a waste or worn piece of cloth

plural : shabby or very worn clothing

dressed in rags

: newspaper

especially : a low quality newspaper

rag

2 of 3 verb

ragged; ragging

: to rail at : scold

: torment sense 2, tease

rag

3 of 3 noun

: a composition in ragtime

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

Last Updated: 24 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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rag

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

noun (3)

noun (4)

Synonyms

Examples of rag in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near rag

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition