scraggy

[ skrag-ee ]

adjective

, scrag·gi·er, scrag·gi·est.

1. lean or thin; scrawny.
2. meager.
3. irregular; craggy; jagged.

scraggy

/ ˈskræɡɪ /

adjective

1. lean or scrawny
2. rough; unkempt

Derived Forms

• ˈscraggily, adverb
• ˈscragginess, noun

Other Words From

• scraggi·ly adverb
• scraggi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of scraggy¹

First recorded in 1565–75; scrag + -y ¹

Example Sentences

He said: "A scraggy dog hit me square between the shoulders and knocked me over. I'd never been so glad to see the old girl. And I think she felt the same".

From BBC

Clambering up a scraggy path on a hill looking over the foggy city of Lima, Justina Flores is trying to figure out what she's going to cook today.

From BBC

Alberto Giacometti’s sculptures of tall, elegantly scraggy humans loom large in people’s minds.

From Seattle Times

The soil was barren, scarcely affording pasture for a few miserable cows, and oatmeal for its inhabitants, which consisted of five persons, whose gaunt and scraggy limbs gave tokens of their miserable fare.

From Literature

“There are a lot of very old, scraggy toothbrushes out there.”

From The Guardian

Related Words

• angular
• gangly
• gaunt
• lanky
• rangy
• sinewy
• skinny
• slender
• slim
• sparse
• svelte
• wiry