Skip to main content

bedraggleddisheveled, wet, and untidy in appearance, especially after being exposed to rain or difficult conditions

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: disheveled, wet, and untidy in appearance, especially after being exposed to rain or difficult conditions

Pronunciation (IPA): /bɪˈdræɡəld/

Example Sentences

  • After camping for three days without a shower, the whole group looked utterly bedraggled.
  • The celebrity arrived at the red carpet event looking bedraggled, which became the next day's headline.
  • My dog always comes home bedraggled after playing in the park during rainy season.

bedraggled

ADJECTIVE

[/bɪˈdræɡəld/]

disheveled, wet, and untidy in appearance, especially after being exposed to rain or difficult conditions

After hours in the storm, the hiker looked completely bedraggled at the cabin door.
💡 Concept

After hours in the storm, the hiker looked completely bedraggled at the cabin door.

Bedraggled and wet, its tail waggled as it straggled behind
🎵 Rhyme

Bedraggled and wet, its tail waggled as it straggled behind

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/bɪˈdræɡəld/
🇬🇧 UK/bɪˈdræɡəld/

🌳Etymology

Prefixbe--
Rootdraggle
Suffix--ed

Origin

Bedraggled emerged in 16th-century English from the combination of the prefix be- (meaning completely or thoroughly) and the verb draggle (to drag through mud or mire). Originally, it described clothing or garments that had been dragged through mud and left in a soiled, unkempt state.

Breakdown

be- (completely, thoroughly) + draggle (to drag through mud or soil), where draggle itself derives from an older Germanic root meaning to drag or trail.

🎵Rhyme

straggleddraggledwaggled
straggled
draggled
waggled

🔗Collocations

bedraggled hair
bedraggled clothes
bedraggled appearance
look bedraggled
bedraggled and exhausted

📝Examples

After camping for three days without a shower, the whole group looked utterly bedraggled.

😄 Fun example

The celebrity arrived at the red carpet event looking bedraggled, which became the next day's headline.

My dog always comes home bedraggled after playing in the park during rainy season.

😄 Fun example

The bedraggled traveler stumbled into the hotel lobby at 3 AM, dragging his broken suitcase.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

disheveledunkemptscruffyrumpledtattered

Antonyms

pristineimmaculategroomed

Related

draggledsoddenwindblownweather-beaten

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.