Appearance:
* Uneven or tattered: This is the most common meaning. It describes something that is worn, torn, or frayed, like a ragged shirt or a ragged flag.
* Rough or unkempt: A person can be described as ragged if their clothes are messy and untidy, or their appearance is generally unkempt.
Sound:
* Harsh or uneven: This is used to describe a sound that is rough or irregular, like a ragged cough or a ragged breath.
Other:
* Incomplete or uneven: This is often used to describe data or information that is not complete or uniform, like a ragged dataset in programming.
* Unorganized or lacking in structure: You might say that a plan is ragged if it's poorly organized or lacking in details.
Examples:
* "The old man wore a ragged coat, patched in many places." (Appearance - torn)
* "The children were dressed in ragged clothes." (Appearance - unkempt)
* "He coughed a ragged, painful cough." (Sound - uneven)
* "The data in the report was extremely ragged." (Incomplete)
* "The committee's plan was ragged and needed more details." (Unorganized)
To understand the specific meaning of "ragged," you need to consider the context in which it is used.