What does bedraggled mean?
Word: Bedraggled
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Bedraggled means wet, muddy and untidy, usually after being out in the rain.
Synonyms: dishevelled, soaked
Antonyms: neat
How do you spell bedraggled?
Syllables: be - drag - gled
Tricky part: The g is doubled, which students often miss because they hear only one.
Watch out for: bedragled, bedraged
Memory tip: Something bedraggled looks as if it has been dragged through a puddle, and dragged has the same gg.
Bedraggled in a sentence
Example 1: The bedraggled hikers finally reached the hut after hours of rain.
Example 2: My bedraggled umbrella dripped all over the bus seat.
Example 3: By the end of the muddy match, the team looked thoroughly bedraggled.
Fun Fact
The verb behind it meant to make clothes wet and dirty by trailing them through mud.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word bedraggled as used in the sentence:
A bedraggled kitten crept out from under the bench after the downpour.
a) hungry
b) immaculate
c) soggy
d) timid
Show answer
b) immaculate. An immaculate kitten would be perfectly clean, the reverse of wet and muddy.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The gdelbgraed puppy shook itself on the doormat and left paw prints across the hall.
a) befuddled
b) bedraggled
c) belittled
d) bewildered
Show answer
b) bedraggled. A g and an r among the letters leave only one possible word.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
beddraggled
a) g
b) r
c) d
d) l
Show answer
c) d. A single d follows the be at the start.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. bedraggeld 2. weary 3. tattered 4. shabby
a) torn into rags
b) old and worn from too much use
c) looking limp and messy after a soaking
d) very tired
Show answer
c) looking limp and messy after a soaking. The ending should be led; the other three words need no change.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these pets looks bedraggled?
a) a rabbit asleep on fresh hay
b) a cat that was brushed this morning
c) a dog that has rolled in a wet ditch
d) a parrot sitting on a clean perch
Show answer
c) a dog that has rolled in a wet ditch
2. What would a bedraggled traveller most want?
a) a longer book to read
b) a hot bath and dry clothes
c) a seat near the window
d) a map of the next city
Show answer
b) a hot bath and dry clothes
