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

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

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?

From Salon

As I started to get a little older, I remember playing on campus at Cal Berkeley with a ragtag group of guys — a local dance kind of thing for the students.

From Los Angeles Times

A ragtag group of adventurers land on a remote island planning to exploit dinosaur DNA — and some of them get chomped.

From Los Angeles Times