bedraggled
UK: bɪˈdræɡəld | US: bɪˈdræɡəld
adj. 1. Wet, dirty, and disheveled, typically from being exposed to rain or mud.
adj. 2. Figuratively, appearing worn out or neglected.
bedraggled = be<intensifier> + draggle<to make wet/dirty> + ed<past participle suffix>
- be (prefix, from Old English "be-", adds emphasis or transforms verbs)
- draggle (root, variant of "drag," meaning to trail through wet/muddy conditions)
- ed (suffix, forms past participles/adjectives)
Etymology Origin:
"Bedraggled" emerged in the 18th century from the verb "draggle," which derived from "drag" (Old English dragan). The prefix "be-" intensifies the action, originally implying "thoroughly dragged through mud." Over time, it evolved to describe both literal and figurative states of disarray.
The dog looked bedraggled after playing in the storm.
Her bedraggled hair suggested she had forgotten her umbrella.
The flag hung bedraggled in the relentless rain.
He arrived home bedraggled and exhausted from the hike.
The old book’s bedraggled pages showed years of neglect.