- a small piece of cloth, such as one torn from a discarded garment, or such pieces of cloth collectively
- (as modifier): a rag doll, a rag book, rag paper
- a fragmentary piece of any material; scrap; shred
- informal a newspaper or other journal, esp one considered as worthless, sensational, etc
- informal an item of clothing
- informal a handkerchief
- Brit slang esp a flag or ensign
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rag1 /ræg/USA pronunciation
n.
rag2 /ræg/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object], ragged, rag•ging. [Informal.]
rag4 /ræg/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a piece of cloth, esp. one that is torn or worn: [countable]Get a rag and start dusting with it.[uncountable]a piece of rag.
- rags, [plural] tattered clothing:dressed in rags.
- [countable][Informal.]a newspaper or magazine thought of as being of low or poor quality.
- from rags to riches, from a state of poverty to that of wealth.
rag2 /ræg/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object], ragged, rag•ging. [Informal.]
- Informal Termsto scold.
- Informal Termsto tease.
rag4 /ræg/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
- Music and Dancea piece of music in ragtime.
rag1
(rag),USA pronunciation n.
rag2 (rag),USA pronunciation v., ragged, rag•ging, n. [Informal.]
v.t.
n.
rag3 (rag),USA pronunciation v.t., ragged, rag•ging.
rag4 (rag),USA pronunciation n., v., ragged, rag•ging.
n.
v.t.
- a worthless piece of cloth, esp. one that is torn or worn.
- rags, ragged or tattered clothing:The tramp was dressed in rags.
- any article of apparel regarded deprecatingly or self-deprecatingly, esp. a dress:It's just an old rag I had in the closet.
- a shred, scrap, or fragmentary bit of anything.
- Informal Terms
- something of very low value or in very poor condition.
- a newspaper or magazine regarded with contempt or distaste:Are you still subscribing to that rag?
- a person of shabby or exhausted appearance.
- Buildinga large roofing slate that has one edge untrimmed.
- chew the rag. See chew (def. 9).
- from rags to riches, from extreme poverty to great wealth:He went from rags to riches in only three years.
- Old Norse rǫgg
- Scandinavian; compare Norwegian, Swedish ragg coarse hair
- Middle English ragge 1275–1325
rag2 (rag),USA pronunciation v., ragged, rag•ging, n. [Informal.]
v.t.
- Informal Termsto scold.
- Informal Termsto subject to a teasing, esp. in an intense or prolonged way (often fol. by on):Some of the boys were ragging on him about his haircut.
- Informal Terms, British Terms[Brit.]to torment with jokes;
play crude practical jokes on.
n.
- Informal Terms, British Terms[Brit.]an act of ragging.
- origin, originally uncertain 1790–1800
rag3 (rag),USA pronunciation v.t., ragged, rag•ging.
- Metallurgy, Miningto break up (lumps of ore) for sorting. [1870–75;
orig. uncert.]
rag4 (rag),USA pronunciation n., v., ragged, rag•ging.
n.
- Music and Dancea musical composition in ragtime:a piano rag.
v.t.
- Music and Danceto play (music) in ragtime.
- shortened form of ragtime 1895–1900
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rag /ræɡ/ n
rag /ræɡ/ vb (rags, ragging, ragged) (transitive)
- to draw attention facetiously and persistently to the shortcomings or alleged shortcomings of (a person)
- Brit to play rough practical jokes on
- Brit a boisterous practical joke, esp one on a fellow student
- (in British universities)
- a period, usually a week, in which various events are organized to raise money for charity, including a procession of decorated floats and tableaux
- (as modifier): rag day
rag /ræɡ/ n
- a piece of ragtime music
- (transitive) to compose or perform in ragtime
'rag' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
brat
- chew
- chiffon
- chiffonier
- devil
- dishcloth
- frippery
- junkman
- label
- lump
- lumpen
- moppet
- nose rag
- pane
- pillage
- rag-and-bone man
- rag-rolling
- rags
- rag trade
- ragamuffin
- ragged
- red rag
- rug
- scrutiny
- tack rag
- tatter
- toerag
- barb bolt
- Bible paper
- clout
- dishrag
- do-rag
- giant ragweed
- golden ragwort
- great ragweed
- gutta-percha
- hoodlum
- Japanese paper
- lap
- lickety-split
- loofah
- lumpenproletariat
- once-over
- paltry
- panniculus
- pannose
- pannus
- pelting
- percale
- ragbag