scraggly

[ skrag-lee ]

adjective

, scrag·gli·er, scrag·gli·est.

1. irregular; uneven; jagged.
2. shaggy; ragged; unkempt.

scraggly

/ ˈskræɡlɪ /

adjective

1. untidy or irregular

Word History and Origins

Origin of scraggly¹

First recorded in 1865–70; scrag + -ly

Example Sentences

The Vietnamese people smuggler emerged, briefly and hesitantly, from the shadows of a scraggly forest close to the northern French coastline.

From BBC

Still, the mention of native, low-water landscaping, or xeriscaping, conjures images of dusty plots with a few cactuses and scraggly shrubs interspersed with rocks.

From Seattle Times

With a scraggly stem a few meters tall, a handful of slim branches and modest, hand-shaped leaves, it doesn't look like anything special.

From Salon

“Because by the look of you, even if you were gold, you wouldn’t weigh enough, you scraggly thing.”

From Literature

Nearby, a goat tried its luck with a nibble on a thorny, scraggly bush.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• bedraggled
• scruffy
• unkempt