Meaning & use
raggedy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformal
Looking old, worn and untidy, with frayed or torn edges, especially of clothes, cloth or other everyday things.
Grammar: Can come before a noun (a raggedy coat) or after a verb (the coat looked raggedy).
Patterns
- look raggedy
- a raggedy something
He wore a raggedy sweater with holes at the elbows.
The flag was so raggedy after the storm that we had to replace it.
Her raggedy old teddy bear went with her everywhere.
adjectivecomparableinformalfigurative
Messy, uneven or poorly organized, as when a performance or line of people lacks neatness.
Grammar: Often describes sound, movement or arrangement: a raggedy cheer, a raggedy line.
Patterns
- a raggedy performance
- a raggedy line of something
The choir gave a raggedy performance because half of them had colds.
A raggedy line of tired hikers came down the trail.
The team's play was raggedy in the first half.
Word forms
| comparative | raggedier |
|---|---|
| superlative | raggediest |
Common combinations
- raggedy clothes
- The boy wore raggedy clothes that were too big for him.
- raggedy edges
- The old map had raggedy edges from years of folding.
- raggedy doll
- Her raggedy doll had one button eye.
- look raggedy
- After a week of camping, we all looked pretty raggedy.
- raggedy beard
- He had a thin, raggedy beard that he never trimmed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ragged
- Ragged is the standard form and works in formal writing, while raggedy sounds casual and often a little affectionate.
- scruffy
- Scruffy describes someone or something generally untidy, not necessarily torn or frayed as raggedy things are.
- tattered
- Tattered suggests cloth or paper torn into strips and is more literary than raggedy.
- shabby
- Shabby points to being worn out and poorly kept, and can also be used about places, whereas raggedy points to torn, uneven edges.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: raggedy or ragged?
raggedy vs ragged
Ragged and raggedy mean much the same, but ragged is neutral and also used in phrases like 'ragged breathing', which raggedy rarely is.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence? 'The scarecrow wore a ____ old coat full of holes.'
Choose one answer.
Raggedy describes clothing that is worn and torn. Rugged means tough or rough-looking terrain or people, and does not suggest holes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “raggedy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.