bedraggled

/bɪˈdɹæɡl̩d/

//bɪˈdɹæɡl̩d// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"bedraggled" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bedraggled” is uncommon English (frequency #81,152 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,152
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Wet, limp, and unkempt; in disarray due to being doused with water, exposed to the elements, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bedraggled · bedraggled · English

bedraggled · rank #81,152 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #81,152
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Beas

Nearest frequency peer: Beas (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “bedraggled”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “bedraggled” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for bedraggled
PropertyValue
Headwordbedraggled
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/bɪˈdɹæɡl̩d/
Letters10
Frequency rank#81,152
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bedraggled” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).bedraggledfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Beas” (#81,151), “begonia” (#81,153), “Bennetts” (#81,155). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bedraggled” is #81,152. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bedraggled is uncommon English at frequency #81,152 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /bɪˈdɹæɡl̩d/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for bedraggled in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From bedraggle + -ed. The correct English form is bedraggled, spelled B-E-D-R-A-G-G-L-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wet, limp, and unkempt; in disarray due to being doused with water, exposed to the elements, etc.
  2. 2
    Decaying, decrepit or dilapidated.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how bedraggled appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A low rumbling sound was heard; a subterraneous hum; and then all held their breaths; as bedraggled with trailing ropes, and harpoons, and lances, a vast form shot lengthwise, but obliquely from the sea.
  2. She came at night, and in a storm, with only two attendants, and stood before a peasant’s hut, tired, bedraggled, soaked with rain, “the red print of her lost crown still girdling her brow,” and implored admittance—and was refused!

Etymology

From bedraggle + -ed.

This word in other languages

débraillé(Français)ungepflegt(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bedraggled"?
"bedraggled" is spelled B-E-D-R-A-G-G-L-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈdɹæɡl̩d/.
What does "bedraggled" mean?
As an adjective, "bedraggled" means: Wet, limp, and unkempt; in disarray due to being doused with water, exposed to the elements, etc.
How do you pronounce "bedraggled"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bedraggled" is /bɪˈdɹæɡl̩d/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "bedraggled"?
From bedraggle + -ed. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "bedraggled", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

blathering#81,170bushmaster#81,192Anstruther#81,108Carolinian#81,207

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list