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 the end, this ragtag band finally acquires the sutra scrolls from a surprisingly worldly-wise Buddha and achieves a kind of sainthood for themselves.

From Washington Post

That means the Super Bowl could be decided in the Bucs’ defensive backfield, even while a battle rages between Tampa Bay’s linebackers and Kansas City’s ragtag band of big men up front.

From FiveThirtyEight

Sometimes, part of instilling a new culture in a ragtag organization and gradually increasing confidence within a losing team is to lose with tough dignity to the best team on your schedule.

From Washington Post

The Confederacy is one of history’s big losers, but it’s one thing to lose to the United States of America and another thing entirely to lose to a ragtag band of Mississippians who spent a lot of time hanging out in the swamp.

From Ozy

I also remember the impressive journalists in the room, such as Ken Auletta, Steven Levy, and the late Wall Street Journal reporting legend John Wilke, the leader of our ragtag coverage army.

From Fortune

Their only obstacle is an underfunded, ragtag group of locals who want to preserve the environment.

From The Daily Beast

Wildlings: The name given to the ragtag barbarians (see: free folk) who live north of the Wall.

From The Daily Beast

The former senator with the ragtag operation has been the streaky candidate who falls just short of winning the big ones.

From The Daily Beast

He dreams about them, theorizes about them, talks about them with every fellow ragtag con man he encounters.

From The Daily Beast

While ragtag fighters duked it out on the ground, an elite crew of NATO planes ran the show from the sky.

From The Daily Beast

Without the populace having any hand in it, the ragtag and bobtail of the strangers became bolder and shouted more and more.

From Project Gutenberg

We had thirty men with us, a more or less ragtag lot, picked up anyhow in the bazaars.

From Project Gutenberg

Strange, too, he came of good family; good blood in his veins; and yet he seems to have gone right down with the ragtag.

From Project Gutenberg

And so, along with the rest of the coastwise ragtag, which was seeking harbor and holding-ground, came the ancient schooner Polly.

From Project Gutenberg

To make myself amiable and pay court to all the ragtag and bobtail is not in my line.

From Project Gutenberg