ragtag

[rag-tag]

adjective

1. ragged rag ragged or shabby; disheveled.

2. made up of mixed, often diverse, elements.

   a ragtag crowd.

ragtag

/ ˈræɡˌtæɡ /

noun

1. derogatory,  the common people; rabble (esp in the phrase ragtag and bobtail )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ragtag¹

First recorded in 1880–85; rag ¹ + tag ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ragtag¹

C19

Example Sentences

In 1985, he commissioned an R. Crumb-illustrated edition of “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” Abbey’s cult novel about a ragtag crew of eco-saboteurs waging war on bulldozers, dams and the American West’s development boom.

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“Our audience is ragtag,” says Moninger, who first coined the “People’s Republic” term based on his love of obscure national anthems.

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The Irish actor stars as an idealistic editor in chief of a Midwest newspaper that he’s trying to revive with the help of his ragtag staff.

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Along the way, he gets help from a ragtag bunch of misfits, including a chatty donkey and, later, a boot-wearing cat.

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How many times have we cheered on the ragtag baseball team, the minor league hopeful, the plucky semi-pro squad that emerges from the shadows with a miraculous ascent?

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