Bedraggled is an adjective describing someone or something dirty, disheveled, or soaked and limp from rain. It conveys a sense of being tattered or disordered in appearance, typically after exposure to wet or muddy conditions. The word often carries a mildly negative, colorful nuance rather than a clinical description.
"The bedraggled hikers arrived at the camp after a long, rain-soaked trek."
"Her bedraggled suit and muddy shoes gave away that she’d rushed from the train station."
"The bedraggled garden looked neglected after the weekend storm."
"Despite his bedraggled appearance, he managed to charm the crowd with a quick joke."
Bedraggled combines the prefix be- (on, about, thoroughly) with raggle, a form related to rag, and the past participial ending -ed. The be- prefix often intensifies or covers the base adjective; raggle connects to physical dirt or ragged clothing, implying that one has been covered by rag and rain. The sense evolved through Middle English and early Modern English, with be- + ragged influences gradually giving the specialized sense of being soaked and ragged at once. The earliest attestations in English literature appear in the 17th to 18th centuries, reflecting a vivid, somewhat comedic descriptor for someone drenched and disheveled from weather or rough travel. Over time, bedraggled retained its humorous or tongue-in-cheek nuance in everyday usage while remaining a vivid, less clinical synonym for damp, dirty, and disordered appearance.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Bedraggled" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bedraggled" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Bedraggled" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Bedraggled"
-ged sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Bedraggled is pronounced be-DRAG-gled, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /bəˈdræɡəld/. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a short A as in cat for the second syllable, followed by a light, unstressed -gled ending where the g is soft before the l. If you’re listening, you’ll hear a quick, clipped second syllable and a soft, almost sleepy final -led. Audio references can be found through standard dictionaries or pronunciation videos.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (say be-DRAG-gled with wrong emphasis), pronouncing the second syllable with a long a (bə-DRAY-gled), and hardening the final -led to -ledt. Correct these by emphasizing the second syllable with a short, crisp A as in cat, keeping the final -led light and quick, and keeping the first syllable as a soft schwa. Practice by tapping the rhythm: bə-DRAG-əld.
US, UK, and Australian speakers share the /bəˈdræɡəld/ pattern but with subtle shifts: US tends to a softer /ə/ in the first syllable and a slightly more rhotacized or relaxed r-like influence in connected speech; UK often maintains a lighter, clipped vowel in the second syllable and may underpronounce the final /d/ in rapid speech; AU can sound more centralized in the first schwa and a brighter /æ/ in the second syllable with a flatter overall intonation.
The difficulty lies in the three-consonant cluster in the middle (drag) and the unstressed, quick final -gled. The /æ/ vowel in the stressed syllable can be tricky for non-native speakers, and the sequence /dr/ requires precise tongue placement to avoid an extra syllable or slur. Focus on a clean /dr/ onset with a crisp short /æ/ and a light, almost silent final /ld/ to achieve a natural, native feel.
In bedraggled, the final -ed forms the /əld/ sequence in most dialects, so you hear a light /ə/ followed by /ld/. The ending behaves more like -led in pronunciation, not a separate -ed as in some past-tense forms. You should voice the /l/ clearly, then release into a soft /d/ or /ld/ blend, which keeps the word smoothly connected without an extra syllable.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Bedraggled"!
No related words found
