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Definitions

bedraggled

[bih-drag-uhld] / bɪˈdræg əld /
ADJECTIVE
unkempt
Synonyms
STRONGEST
disheveled run down seedy threadbare untidy
STRONG
dilapidated dirty disordered drenched dripping faded muddied muddy soiled stained sullied wet
WEAK
decrepit dowdy messy shabby sloppy slovenly sodden tacky tattered
Antonyms
STRONGEST
fresh neat orderly tidy
STRONG
clean

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for bedraggled?
The verbs draggle and bedraggle mean to soil something, such as a piece of clothing, by dragging it over damp ground or in mud. The adjective bedraggled is quite specific—it means dirty and limp due to having been dragged in this way. The words soiled and sullied are often used to mean the same thing. A word specific to being made dirty by mud is muddied. A more general word is dirtied. A milder and even less specific term is untidy. Something, such as a reputation, could be described as bedraggled in a figurative sense to mean that it has been besmirched or tarnished.
What is the opposite (antonym) of bedraggled?
The opposite of something that’s bedraggled is something that’s been carefully kept clean. Perhaps the best antonyms are immaculate and spotless (both of which can be used in literal and figurative ways).  
How do you use bedraggled in a sentence?
Bedraggled is a fun word, but it’s not used very often. Here are some examples of bedraggled in a sentence:
  • The bottom of his long cloak was bedraggled after constantly dipping into puddles.
  • The kids came back from their walk on the muddy path completely bedraggled.
  • The bedraggled reputation of the mayor could not be laundered after yet another scandal.
What part of speech is bedraggled?
Bedraggled can be a verb or an adjective depending on how it’s being used. It comes from the past tense of the verb bedraggle.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Our fellow travelers along the I-95 corridor comprised a particularly vibrant cross-section of American society, including many bedraggled participants of Daytona’s Bike Week, trailering their baggers and dressers home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Every wrinkly finger, bedraggled wig and lipstick-smeared visage are a sight to behold.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2025

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken garnered some mixed reviews in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday after busting out his ’80s-rock chops at a bedraggled but beloved Kyiv bar.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2024

Most of them were bedraggled, impoverished; very few of them had survived the Holocaust.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2024

In the shadows, Jack saw bedraggled men in blue-and-gray-striped uniforms, hurrying from one building to the next.

From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.