What does raggy mean?
Raggy is an informal adjective describing something that looks worn, shabby, frayed, or untidy. It commonly applies to clothing, furnishings, buildings, and other objects whose condition suggests prolonged use or neglect: a coat may be described as raggy, as may an old armchair or a badly maintained fence. The word often carries a mildly disparaging or humorous tone, suggesting that the object has reached a conspicuously poor condition rather than merely showing ordinary wear. Raggy is close in meaning to ragged and shabby, but it emphasizes the overall worn or untidy appearance. Although it can convey criticism, it is also frequently used affectionately or comically, as when someone jokes about an old favourite sweater. Its comparative and superlative forms are raggier and raggiest. The word is understood in both British and American English, though it is less formal than alternatives such as threadbare, tattered, or dilapidated and may sound conversational or regional.
adjectiveRagged or shabby in appearance, especially worn, frayed, or untidy.
- Worn, frayed, shabby, or untidy in appearance.
"He abandoned his raggy coat on the back of the chair."
"The sleeves of his jacket had become thoroughly raggy."
"Tourists mistook the raggy fence for an authentic piece of rural scenery."
Raggy compresses the idea of looking worn and untidy into a vivid, instantly familiar adjective.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does raggy come from?
Raggy is a derivative of the older form ragged. Ragged itself developed in Middle English from raggen, of uncertain origin; proposed connections with Old Norse have not been securely established. The modern adjective raggy therefore belongs to the same English word family as ragged and its derivatives.
Related word forms
How raggy is actually used
Informal and often slightly disparaging; it is especially common in speech and informal writing.
Easily confused with raggy
Raggy means ragged or shabby in appearance, while ragged can also describe something torn or frayed and can describe a rough, irregular edge.