Bedraggled — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /bi-ˈdra-gəld/ be·drag·gled

Meaning & Definition of Bedraggled

Bedraggled (adjective)

  1. soiled and stained by or as if by trailing in mud
  2. left wet and limp by or as if by rain
  3. dilapidated

Bedraggled (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. containing, covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water

    "the cat looked rather funny, all bedraggled and fit to be tied after her bath"

    similar: awash, bathed, doused, drenched, dripping, logged, saturate, saturated, soaked, soaking, sodden, soggy, sopping, soppy, soused, washed, water-soaked, watered, waterlogged, watery, wet
    related: deluged, drowned, flooded, inundated, overflowed, submerged, swamped, hydrated, dipped, dunked, splashed, aqueous, steeped, flushed, irrigated, laved, rinsed, sluiced, clammy, damp, dampish, dank, humid, moist, semimoist, wettish, boggy, miry, seepy, sloppy, squashy
    opposite: arid, dry, unwatered, waterless
    near: bone-dry, hyperarid, ultradry, waterproof, water-repellent, water-resistant, watertight, baked, dehydrated, freeze-dried, droughty, parched, sere, sunbaked, thirsty, wrung

  2. not clean

    "found flood victims in bedraggled clothes"

    similar: befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, black, blackened, cruddy, dingy, dirty, draggled, dusty, filthy, foul, grimy, grotty (chiefly British), grubby, grungy, mucky, muddy, nasty, smudged, smutty, soiled, sordid, stained, sullied, unclean, uncleanly
    related: contaminated, defiled, germy, impure, polluted, tainted, insanitary, uncleaned, unsanitary, unsterile, unsterilized, unwashed, greasy, gunky, chaotic, cluttered, confused, disarranged, disarrayed, disheveled, disordered, jumbled, littered, messed, messy, muddled, mussed, mussy, rumpled, scruffy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, raunchy, scuzzy (slang), shabby, skanky (slang), sleazy, squalid, collied (chiefly British dialect), crocked (dialect), fuliginous, sooty
    opposite: clean, cleanly, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless, stainless, ultraclean, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied
    near: clear, limpid, pure, cleaned, cleansed, combed, groomed, neat, ordered, orderly, tidy, bleached, purified, whitened, bright, flawless, perfect, shiny, sparkling, unspotted, untouched, taintless, unblemished, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, virgin, wholesome

Bedraggled (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make wet

    "I was so bedraggled by the relentless rain that I couldn't wait to get into some dry clothes"

    similar: bathed, doused, drenched, drowned, soaked, soddened, sopped, soused, washed, watered, waterlogged, water-soaked, wet, wet down
    related: aspersed, bedewed, damped, dampened, drizzled, humidified, hydrated, misted, moistened, moisturized, showered, sprinkled, deluged, flooded, hosed (down), inundated, overflowed, submerged, swamped, splashed, impregnated, saturated, steeped, flushed, irrigated, laved, rinsed, sloshed, sluiced, dipped, ducked, dunked, rehydrated, rewashed, rewet
    opposite: dehydrated, desiccated, dried, parched, scorched, seared
    near: dewatered, evaporated, freeze-dried, drip-dried, wrung, dehumidified

Related Entry: Bedraggle (verb)

Bedraggle is a different word from Bedraggled. The synonyms below are for bedraggle, not for bedraggled.

  1. to make wet

    "I was so bedraggled by the relentless rain that I couldn't wait to get into some dry clothes"

    similar: bathe, douse, drench, drown, soak, sodden, sop, souse, wash, water, water-soak, waterlog, wet, wet down
    related: asperse, bedew, damp, dampen, drizzle, humidify, hydrate, mist, moisten, moisturize, shower, sprinkle, deluge, flood, hose (down), inundate, overflow, submerge, swamp, splash, impregnate, saturate, steep, flush, irrigate, lave, rinse, slosh, sluice, dip, duck, dunk, rehydrate, rewash, rewet
    opposite: dehydrate, desiccate, dry, parch, scorch, sear
    near: dewater, evaporate, freeze-dry, drip-dry, wring, dehumidify

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bedraggled

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bedraggled:

Chiefly British: grotty
awash, bathed, doused, drenched, dripping, logged, saturate, saturated, soaked, soaking, sodden, soggy, sopping, soppy, soused, washed, water-soaked, watered, waterlogged, watery, wet, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, black, blackened, cruddy, dingy, dirty, draggled, dusty, filthy, foul, grimy, grubby, grungy, mucky, muddy, nasty

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bedraggled

Words with the opposite meaning of Bedraggled:

arid, dry, unwatered, waterless, clean, cleanly, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless, stainless, ultraclean, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied, dehydrated, desiccated, dried, parched, scorched, seared

Related Words for Bedraggled

deluged, flooded, inundated, overflowed, submerged, swamped, hydrated, dipped, dunked, splashed, aqueous, steeped, flushed, irrigated, laved, rinsed, sluiced, clammy, damp, dampish, dank, humid, moist, semimoist, wettish, boggy, miry, seepy, sloppy, squashy

Near Antonyms of Bedraggled

bone-dry, hyperarid, ultradry, waterproof, water-repellent, water-resistant, watertight, baked, freeze-dried, droughty, sere, sunbaked, thirsty, wrung, clear, limpid, pure, cleaned, cleansed, combed, groomed, neat, ordered, orderly, tidy, bleached, purified, whitened, bright, flawless

Origin & Etymology of Bedraggled

from past participle of bedraggle

First known use: circa 1775

Frequently Asked Questions about Bedraggled

What does "Bedraggled" mean?

"Bedraggled" means soiled and stained by or as if by trailing in mud. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: soiled and stained by or as if by trailing in mud. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bedraggled"?

Other words for "Bedraggled" include awash, bathed, doused, drenched, dripping, logged, saturate and saturated. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bedraggled" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bedraggled"?

There are 144 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bedraggled". Common alternatives include awash, bathed, doused, drenched, dripping, logged, saturate, saturated, soaked and soaking.

What is the opposite of "Bedraggled"?

Antonyms of "Bedraggled" include arid, dry, unwatered, waterless, clean, cleanly, immaculate and spick-and-span. Near antonyms include bone-dry, hyperarid, ultradry and waterproof.

How do you use "Bedraggled" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bedraggled" in a sentence: "the cat looked rather funny, all bedraggled and fit to be tied after her bath"; "found flood victims in bedraggled clothes"; "I was so bedraggled by the relentless rain that I couldn't wait to get into some dry clothes".

Is "Bedraggled" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bedraggled" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Bedraggled"?

"Bedraggled" is pronounced /bi-ˈdra-gəld/ and divided into syllables as be·drag·gled.

What is the origin of the word "Bedraggled"?

"Bedraggled" comes from from past participle of bedraggle. First known use: circa 1775.