Meaning & use
scraggly
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Thin, uneven and untidy in appearance, as hair, beards or plants that grow in a messy way.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a scraggly beard; also used after be.
Patterns
- scraggly beard
- scraggly bush
He had a thin, scraggly beard that never filled out.
A scraggly bush grew beside the fence.
The stray cat looked scraggly after the winter.
adjectivebefore a noun
Rough and ragged along the edge, with parts sticking out here and there.
Grammar: Used for edges, lines and outlines that are not neat.
Patterns
- scraggly edges
- scraggly line
The coastline was a scraggly line of rocks.
She trimmed the scraggly edges of the hedge.
The child drew a scraggly fence around the house.
Word forms
| comparative | scragglier |
|---|---|
| superlative | scraggliest |
Common combinations
- scraggly beard
- The hiker had a scraggly beard after weeks in the wild.
- scraggly hair
- Her scraggly hair hung over her eyes.
- scraggly bush
- A scraggly bush clung to the cliff.
- scraggly tree
- One scraggly tree stood in the yard.
- scraggly looking
- The garden looked scraggly after the dry summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- straggly
- Straggly is almost the same word and is more common in British English, referring to growth that spreads untidily.
- unkempt
- Unkempt is more formal and describes general untidiness, not just thin, uneven growth.
- ragged
- Ragged suggests torn or rough edges, while scraggly suggests thin and messy growth.
- scruffy
- Scruffy refers to untidy dress or appearance overall and does not require thin growth.
Opposites
Word family
- scraggy adjective
- thin and bony, often of animals or people
- scragginess noun
- the quality of being thin and untidy
- scraggliness noun
- an untidy, thin look
- scrag noun
- a thin or bony person or animal
Commonly confused: scraggly or straggly? scraggly or scraggy?
scraggly vs straggly
Straggly means the same and is the more usual British form, so check which spelling suits your audience.
scraggly vs scraggy
Scraggy means thin and bony, whereas scraggly describes untidy, uneven growth.
Practice
After weeks without a razor, he had a thin, ___ beard.
Choose one answer.
Scraggly describes thin, untidy growth, like an unshaved beard. Glossy, trimmed and tidy all suggest neatness and care.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scraggly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.