rag

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈrag 

1

a

: a waste piece of cloth

b

rags plural : clothes usually in poor or ragged condition

c

: clothing

the rag trade

2

: something resembling a rag

3

: newspaper

especially : a sleazy newspaper

rag

2 of 5

noun (2)

1

: any of various hard rocks

2

: a large roofing slate that is rough on one side

rag

3 of 5

verb

ragged ˈragd  ; ragging

transitive verb

1

: to rail at : scold

2

: torment, tease

rag

4 of 5

noun (3)

chiefly British

: an outburst of boisterous fun

also : prank

rag

5 of 5

noun (4)

: a composition in ragtime

Phrases

rag on

: to make fun of

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• book
• bulletin
• diurnal
• gazette
• journal
• mag
• magazine
• newspaper
• organ
• paper
• periodical
• review
• serial
• zine

Verb

• baste
• bawl out
• berate
• call down
• castigate
• chastise
• chew out
• dress down
• flay
• hammer
• jaw
• keelhaul
• lambaste
• lambast
• lecture
• rail (at or against)
• rant (at)
• rate
• ream (out)
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• scold
• score
• tongue-lash
• upbraid

Noun (3)

• antic
• caper
• capriccio
• dido
• escapade
• frolic
• gag
• jest
• knavery
• monkeyshine(s)
• practical joke
• prank
• roguery
• shavie [Scottish]
• shine(s)
• trick
• waggery

Examples of rag in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the local rag publishes more gossip than news

the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags

Verb

several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses

Noun (3)

a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For fans of Botafogo, the last three years in particular have been a dream come true and somewhat of a rags to riches story, as they have been led from the depths under new owner John Textor to become one of the most powerful teams in South America. —Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Bachman’s songs—rags, reels and country blues, many named for sites and sounds of Virginia—conjured an easy sense of the past. —Brendan Fitzgerald, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024

Verb

Bill Skarsgård is absolutely marvelous in the role, his breath ragged, his thick Romanian accent at once menacing and more than a little preposterous. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024

The Talib looked as ragged as his outpost, a trailer banked on a snowy mountain pass. —Azam Ahmed, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ragge, from Old English *ragg, from Old Norse rǫgg tuft, shagginess

Noun (2)

Middle English ragge

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (4)

short for ragtime

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1825, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1881, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rag

• a red rag to a bull
• chew the rag
• do-rag
• du-rag
• rag doll
• rag on
• tag, rag, and bobtail
• the rag trade

Kids Definition

rag

1 of 3 noun

ˈrag 

1

: a waste or worn piece of cloth

2

plural : shabby or very worn clothing

dressed in rags

3

: newspaper

especially : a low quality newspaper

rag

2 of 3 verb

ragged; ragging

1

: to rail at : scold

2

: torment sense 2, tease

rag

3 of 3 noun

: a composition in ragtime

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown