A ragged coat may cover an honest man.
Source: tatoeba (33112)
Ragged
/ˈɹæɡɪd/
Synonyms for "ragged" (266 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (54)
Strong matches (79)
doggeddowdydown at the heeldown-at-heeldown-at-the-heelsdrabbletaileddraggleddraggletaileddryeroseerraticexhaustedfagged outfatiguedfrayedfrazzledfrowzyfrumpishfrumpyfull of holes
Show 43 more words
gratinggravellygrubbygruffgutturalharassedharriedharshharsh-soundingheckledhectoredhoarseholeyhoundedhuskyimperfectimpulsivein piecesin ragsin shredsin tattersinconsistentinconstantinformalironboundirregularjaggedjaggyjerkylaceratelaceratedlooselumpenmangledmercurialmessymetallicmotleymussymutablemutilatedneedledneglected
Adjective(13 words)
Noun(2 words)
frayingfreehand trim
Verb(1 words)
Related words (133)
negligentnickednipped atnonconformistnonstandardnonuniformnotchedpatchypersecutedpesteredpicked onplaguedpluralisticpokypooped outpoorquarteredraggedyraspingratty
Show 90 more words
raucidraucousrentridgedrippedrivenrockboundrockyroughroupyruderuggedrugoserugousruinousrun-downsaw toothedsaw-toothedsawtoothscraggedscragglyscraggyscratchyscruffyseedyserrateserratedseveredshabbyshaggyshoddyshreddedslackslatternlyslipshodslitsloppyslovenlysluttishsnaggedsnaggledsnaggysordidspasmodicspentsplinteredsplitsporadicsqualidsquawkingsquawkystertorousstonystrangledtackytatteredtattyteasedthickthreadbarethroatytime-worntinnytiredtoothedtormentedtornunequableunequalunevenunkemptunneatunorthodoxunsightlyunstableunsteadyunsystematicuntidyununiformvariablevariegatedvariformvariousvaryingwaveringwearyworn outworriedwrinkledzigzag
Adjective(20 words)
Noun(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: all in, bad, badgered, baited, battered.
- Sentence evidence is available for ragged, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ragged".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ragged"
Keep "ragged" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ragged" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ragged", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ragged" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesappearancebehaviorbreathing patternconditionconductexecution qualitygeometric propertyperformance qualityphysiological statestatesurface propertyvocal feature
More specific
14 entriesCollocations
6 entriesragged appearanceragged breathragged clothingragged coastlineragged edgeragged performance
Inflections
2 entriesmore raggedmost ragged
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
32 translations across 19 languages.
Ancient Greek
3 entries- τρύχινος adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- ῥάκινος adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- ῥακώδης adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- cırıq adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Bulgarian
2 entries- дрипав adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- парцалив adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Czech
1 entries- potrhaný adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Finnish
1 entries- rähjäinen adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
French
2 entries- déguenillé adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- en lambeaux adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Ido
1 entries- ragoza adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Irish
1 entries- ceamach adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Italian
4 entries- a brandelli adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- logoro adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- stracciato adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- stridente adj (harsh and disagreeable to the ear)
Latin
1 entries- pannūceus adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Māori
2 entries- hīraurau adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- taretare adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Norman
1 entries- déguenilyi adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Persian
2 entries- مندرس adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- ژنده adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- lunsich adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Portuguese
1 entries- esfarrapado adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Quechua
1 entries- chhachu adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Russian
4 entries- изо́рванный adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- обо́рванный adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- рва́ный adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- ре́зкий adj (harsh and disagreeable to the ear)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- giobach adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Spanish
2 entries- ajado adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
- andrajoso adj (rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken)
Sample sentences
23 total sentences available.
I dreamt that Congress effected sensible tax reform to improve the lot of the working class. I then woke up in a gutter with nothing but ragged clothes and a stolen guitar to my name.
Source: tatoeba (818448)
Truth has a good face, but ragged clothes.
Source: tatoeba (2985976)
I should have been a pair of ragged claws, scuttling across the floors of silent seas.
Source: tatoeba (3465286)
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ragged"?
Closest matches include all in, bad, badgered, baited, battered.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ragged"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.