rag

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈrag 

1

a

: a waste piece of cloth

b

rags plural : clothes usually in poor or ragged condition

c

: clothing

the rag trade

2

: something resembling a rag

3

: newspaper

especially : a sleazy newspaper

rag

2 of 5

noun (2)

1

: any of various hard rocks

2

: a large roofing slate that is rough on one side

rag

3 of 5

verb

ragged ˈragd  ; ragging

transitive verb

1

: to rail at : scold

2

: torment, tease

rag

4 of 5

noun (3)

chiefly British

: an outburst of boisterous fun

also : prank

rag

5 of 5

noun (4)

: a composition in ragtime

Phrases

rag on

: to make fun of

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• book
• bulletin
• diurnal
• gazette
• journal
• mag
• magazine
• newspaper
• organ
• paper
• periodical
• review
• serial
• zine

Verb

• baste
• bawl out
• berate
• call down
• castigate
• chastise
• chew out
• dress down
• flay
• hammer
• jaw
• keelhaul
• lambaste
• lambast
• lecture
• rail (at or against)
• rant (at)
• rate
• ream (out)
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• scold
• score
• tongue-lash
• upbraid

Noun (3)

• antic
• caper
• capriccio
• dido
• escapade
• frolic
• gag
• jest
• knavery
• monkeyshine(s)
• practical joke
• prank
• roguery
• shavie [Scottish]
• shine(s)
• trick
• waggery

Examples of rag in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the local rag publishes more gossip than news

the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags

Verb

several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses

Noun (3)

a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mix a solution of one part bleach to five parts water in a large bucket and use a bristled scrub brush, cloth, rag, or sponge to scrub each section of the fence, starting from the top and working your way to the bottom. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024

Soko Diamond is based on a rag that contains Lumia, a permanganate and chlorine substitute activated by ozone. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 25 Oct. 2024

Just add a dollop of mayo to a rag and scrub the affected surface until the mark is gone. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2024

Related article No longer babies, some teens take to ‘soiling the nest’ The term comes from the aftereffect of inhaling metallic paints sprayed on a rag, which leaves a chrome or metallic residue on one’s face, Pizon said. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ragge, from Old English *ragg, from Old Norse rǫgg tuft, shagginess

Noun (2)

Middle English ragge

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (4)

short for ragtime

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1825, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1881, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rag

• a red rag to a bull
• chew the rag
• do-rag
• du-rag
• rag doll
• rag on
• tag, rag, and bobtail
• the rag trade

Kids Definition

rag

1 of 3 noun

ˈrag 

1

: a waste or worn piece of cloth

2

plural : shabby or very worn clothing

dressed in rags

3

: newspaper

especially : a low quality newspaper

rag

2 of 3 verb

ragged; ragging

1

: to rail at : scold

2

: torment sense 2, tease

rag

3 of 3 noun

: a composition in ragtime

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown