adjective

ragged

RAG-id/ˈræɡɪd/

Uneven and frayed in appearance.

The weathered jacket has ragged cuffs and jagged tears.

A weathered jacket with frayed cuffs and jagged tears hangs on a peg.

Etymology

Ragged looks like an -ed adjective from rag, suggesting cloth reduced to tatters. It may instead preserve an older sense of shaggy roughness, perhaps derived from or reinforced by Scandinavian words.

In context

Zak Foster Quilts25:18

this was ragged peasant cloth um that they had to patch because they couldn't afford to go out and buy cloth

RAGGED EDGES with textile-artist Victoria Gertenbach

More examples

His ragged jeans have holes at both knees.
Tearing the paper leaves a ragged edge.
He looks ragged after a week of sleepless nights.

Forms

ragged · raggeder · raggedest

raggedness noun — The condition of being frayed or uneven.

raggedly adverb — In a rough or uneven manner.

Similar words

frayed: Specifically describes threads coming loose at a fabric's edges.
tattered: Emphasizes extensive tearing and damage, especially in clothing.
uneven: Describes irregular surfaces or edges without necessarily implying wear.