rag
gb/ɹˈæɡ/ us/ɹˈæɡ/
B1
English
~ 9200
rongy, törlőrongy, rongyok, szennylap, szekál, ragtime-darab, jótékonysági diákhét, jótékonysági diákrendezvény
NOUN
B1
1
rongy
A2
törlőrongy
B1
Usage pattern:
to wipe [something] with a rag
She grabbed an old rag to wipe the oil off her hands.
Felkapott egy régi rongyot, hogy letörölje az olajat a kezéről.
Use a damp rag to clean the dust from the shelves.
Használj nedves rongyot, hogy letöröld a port a polcokról.
He polished the car with a soft rag until it shone.
The paint was still wet, so I blotted it with a rag.
Keep a rag by the sink for quick spills.
Learner examples
He cleaned the table with a wet rag.
Egy vizes ronggyal letörölte az asztalt.
Please give me a rag to dry my hands.
Kérlek, adj egy rongyot, hogy megtöröljem a kezem.
She used a small rag to wipe the window.
There is a dirty rag on the floor.
I keep an old rag in the kitchen for spills.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "rag" with "rug". A rag is a small piece of cloth for cleaning, while a rug is a thick piece of material on the floor.
Meaning
Small piece of old cloth
Collocations
dirty rag
|old rag
|cleaning rag
|wet rag
|dusting rag
Synonyms
cloth (More general word for fabric; it does not suggest that the piece is old or worn-out, while rag usually does.)
Antonyms
new cloth (Suggests fabric that is fresh and in good condition, the opposite of a worn, leftover piece of cloth used as a rag.)
Themes
home
|daily life
|daily_life
|housing
Definition
A small old piece of cloth that you use to clean or wipe things.
A small piece of old, worn cloth, typically used for wiping, cleaning, or polishing.
NOUN
B2
2
rongyok
B1
Usage pattern:
to be in rags
The child was dressed in rags but smiled brightly.
A gyerek rongyokban volt, mégis ragyogóan mosolygott.
After months on the road, his clothes were little more than rags.
Az úton töltött hónapok után a ruhái már alig voltak többek rongyoknál.
They arrived with nothing but the rags they were wearing.
The old man wrapped himself in rags to keep warm.
Her coat was in rags after years of hard use.
Learner examples
The boy’s clothes were in rags.
A fiú ruhái rongyokban lógtak.
She felt poor in her old rags.
Szegénynek érezte magát a régi rongyaiban.
He walked into the city in rags.
They were so poor that they wore rags.
Her dress became rags after many years.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "rag" in the singular when they mean "old clothes" in general. In this sense, English normally uses the plural "rags", as in "He is dressed in rags".
Meaning
Old, torn or dirty clothes
Collocations
dressed in rags
|wear rags
|in rags
|torn rags
|dirty rags
Synonyms
tattered clothes (Describes clothes that are badly torn and worn; similar meaning but slightly more formal than "rags".)
Antonyms
fine clothes (Refers to clean, good-quality clothing, often for special occasions, which contrasts with the poverty implied by "rags".)
Themes
appearance
|poverty
|clothing
|daily_life
Definition
Very old or broken clothes that look bad and are not nice to wear.
Old, torn, or very dirty clothes, especially ones that are not suitable to wear in normal situations.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
szennylap
B2
Usage pattern:
to read that [local/national] rag
He refuses to buy that rag since they printed lies about him.
Nem hajlandó megvenni azt a szennylapot, amióta hazugságokat írtak róla.
The scandal was splashed across every gossip rag in the country.
A botránnyal tele volt az ország összes pletykalapja.
Why are you still reading that trashy rag?
The local rag ran a sensational front-page story about the mayor.
She called the magazine a silly rag and cancelled her subscription.
Learner examples
He threw the rag in the bin after reading the bad article.
A rossz cikk elolvasása után a kukába dobta a szennylapot.
My dad says that newspaper is just a rag.
Apám szerint az az újság csak egy szennylap.
She does not trust that gossip rag.
I don’t want to buy this rag; it is full of lies.
They laughed at the silly stories in the local rag.
Common mistake:
Learners may translate their word for "newspaper" directly as "rag" without realizing the strong negative meaning. "Rag" for a publication almost always shows criticism or disrespect.
Meaning
Low-quality newspaper or magazine
Collocations
local rag
|tabloid rag
|gossip rag
|trash rag
|cheap rag
Synonyms
tabloid (Refers to a small-format, often sensational newspaper; not always negative, while calling something a "rag" is clearly insulting.)
Antonyms
quality newspaper (Describes a serious, respected paper with high journalistic standards, the opposite of what "rag" implies here.)
Themes
media
|society
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Definition
An informal, negative word for a newspaper or magazine that many people think is bad or not serious.
An informal and often disapproving term for a newspaper or magazine that is seen as low quality, sensationalist, or not serious.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
4
szekál
B1
Usage pattern:
to rag [someone] about [something]
They always rag him about his old car.
Mindig a régi autója miatt szekálják.
Stop ragging me about my hair; I like it this way.
Ne szekálj már a hajam miatt; nekem így tetszik.
His friends ragged on him for coming late again.
She’s been ragging her brother for weeks about finding a job.
The players ragged the new guy until he finally laughed along.
Learner examples
His friends rag him about his clothes.
A barátai a ruhái miatt szekálják.
Please don’t rag me about my accent.
Kérlek, ne szekálj az akcentusom miatt.
They ragged on him after he made a mistake.
She keeps ragging her son about his homework.
I hate it when people rag on me all day.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "rag" with "rage" because they sound similar. "Rag" means to tease or criticize; "rage" means to be very angry.
Meaning
Tease or criticize repeatedly
Collocations
rag someone about
|rag on someone
|constantly rag
|rag him mercilessly
Synonyms
tease (General word for making fun of someone; "rag" often feels more persistent and can be more annoying or critical.)
Antonyms
encourage (Instead of criticizing or making fun, you support someone with positive words, the opposite attitude of ragging them.)
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|communication
Definition
To say things to someone again and again to make fun of them or to complain about what they do.
To tease, nag, or criticize someone again and again, often in a humorous but sometimes annoying way.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
to play a rag on [instrument]
The pianist ended the concert with a lively rag.
A zongorista egy lendületes ragtime-darabbal zárta a koncertet.
He spent months learning a difficult Scott Joplin rag.
Hónapokon át tanulta Scott Joplin egyik nehéz ragtime-darabját.
Early jazz bands often included at least one rag in their set.
She composed her own rag inspired by classic ragtime.
The old record features several famous piano rags.
Learner examples
The band played a fast rag.
A zenekar egy gyors ragtime-darabot játszott.
He is learning a Scott Joplin rag on piano.
Scott Joplin egyik ragtime-darabját tanulja zongorán.
They danced to a happy rag.
She likes old piano rags.
He wrote a new rag in ragtime style.
Meaning
Ragtime music piece
Collocations
piano rag
|classic rag
|play a rag
|Scott Joplin rag
Synonyms
ragtime piece (More explicit term; makes clear the musical style, while "rag" is the short specialist word musicians often use.)
Antonyms
waltz (A contrasting traditional dance piece in triple time, very different in rhythm and style from a rag.)
Themes
music
|culture
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A song, usually for piano, written in the special old style called ragtime with a jumping rhythm.
A piece of music composed in ragtime style, typically for piano and with a syncopated rhythm.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
6
Usage pattern:
to organize a rag for charity
The university’s annual rag raised thousands for local charities.
Az egyetem éves jótékonysági diákrendezvénye több ezer fontot gyűjtött a helyi jótékonysági szervezeteknek.
During rag week, students dressed in costumes and collected donations on the street.
A jótékonysági diákhét alatt a diákok jelmezbe öltöztek, és adományokat gyűjtöttek az utcán.
She volunteered to help organize the engineering society’s rag.
The town is used to a noisy rag every spring.
Their rag included a parade, a concert, and several charity games.
Learner examples
The students planned a rag to help a hospital.
A diákok jótékonysági diákrendezvényt terveztek, hogy segítsenek egy kórháznak.
During rag week, the students wore funny clothes.
A jótékonysági diákhét alatt a diákok vicces ruhákba öltöztek.
Our university rag collected money for charity.
She works on the rag every year.
People in the city like the big student rag.
Common mistake:
Learners outside the UK and some Commonwealth countries may not know this meaning and may misunderstand "rag week" as something to do with cleaning or clothes.
Meaning
Student charity event or campaign
Collocations
rag week
|university rag
|students’ rag
|charity rag
Synonyms
charity drive (General term for organized fundraising; "rag" specifically refers to student-led, often playful charity events.)
Antonyms
regular classes (Normal academic activities without special events or fundraising, contrasting with the festive, charitable nature of a rag.)
Themes
education
|charity
|relationships
Definition
In some countries, a time when university students do funny or noisy events to get money for charity.
In British and some Commonwealth English, a period of student-organized events, often noisy or humorous, aimed at raising money for charity.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rag
IPA
GB/ɹˈæɡ/
US/ɹˈæɡ/
Syllables & stress
rag (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rag)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rag
- Plural: rag, rags
Verb
- Base: rag
- 3rd Person Singular: rags
- Present Participle: ragging
- Past: ragged
Word family
Forms
rags
noun
ragging
verb
ragged
verb
Advanced or less common
raggedly
adverb
raggedness
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: ragging Verb
- Irregular past: ragged Verb
Expressions
chew the rag
1/t͡ʃˈu ðə ɹˈæɡ/
idiom
informal
Chat in a relaxed way
To talk in a relaxed way for a long time, usually about unimportant things.
Examples
- They sat on the porch and chewed the rag all afternoon.
- We met at the café to chew the rag and catch up.
- Old friends love to chew the rag about the past.
from rags to riches
1/fɹˈʌm ɹˈæɡz tə ɹˈɪt͡ʃɪz/
idiom
Go from very poor to rich
To go from being very poor to being very rich.
Examples
- It’s a classic from-rags-to-riches story about a boy who became a tech billionaire.
- Her journey from rags to riches inspired many young entrepreneurs.
- The movie follows a singer’s rise from rags to riches.
glad rags
1/ɡlˈæd ɹˈæɡz/
idiom
informal
Fancy clothes for going out
Your best or most stylish clothes that you wear when you go out to a party or special event.
Examples
- Put on your glad rags, we’re going dancing tonight.
- Everyone turned up in their glad rags for the New Year’s party.
- She spent all afternoon choosing her glad rags for the wedding.
in rags
1/ˈɪn ɹˈæɡz/
fixed phrase
Wearing very torn clothes
Wearing clothes that are very old, torn, or dirty.
Examples
- The refugees arrived at the camp in rags.
- He came home in rags after the long journey.
- Children in rags played in the dusty street.
on the rag
1/ˈɔn ðə ɹˈæɡ/
idiom
vulgar
Menstruating (offensive slang)
Very informal and rude slang meaning that a woman is having her period (is menstruating).
Examples
- That phrase is offensive; don’t say someone is "on the rag."
- He got in trouble at work for saying his boss was probably on the rag.
- Many people consider "on the rag" a sexist and disrespectful expression.
rag on
1/ɹˈæɡ ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
informal
Keep criticizing or teasing
To say unkind or joking things about someone again and again, often so much that it becomes annoying.
Examples
- They’re always ragging on him for being late.
- Stop ragging on your sister about her haircut.
- She hates it when her coworkers rag on her accent.
rag week
1/ɹˈæɡ wˈik/
fixed phrase
informal
Student charity events week
In some universities, a week when students do special and often funny events to collect money for charity.
Examples
- During rag week the whole campus turns into a party for charity.
- Our university’s rag week raised over £20,000 for local causes.
- She met her best friend while volunteering for rag week.
rags-to-riches story
1/ɹˈæɡz tə ɹˈɪt͡ʃɪz stˈɔɹi/
fixed phrase
Story of becoming rich from poverty
A story about a person who starts very poor and later becomes very rich.
Examples
- His life is a real rags-to-riches story.
- The film tells a rags-to-riches story set in 19th-century London.
- Journalists love a rags-to-riches story about self-made millionaires.