Scraggly

Characterized by being untidy, irregular, and often thin or sparse in growth or appearance. It often describes something that is unkempt or ragged, lacking fullness or a smooth, uniform look. The word often suggests a lack of care or cultivation, implying a wild or neglected state. It can apply to hair, plants, beards, or even abstract concepts like a scraggly idea or a scraggly career path. The overall impression is one of a rough, unfinished, or underdeveloped aesthetic.

Scraggly meaning with examples

• The old, abandoned house was surrounded by a scraggly fence, its wooden posts leaning precariously and strands of barbed wire tangled and rusted. The yard, overgrown with weeds and patches of dry grass, looked just as unkempt as the fence around it. It created a derelict and lonely feeling.
• His scraggly beard, unkempt and speckled with grey, framed a face etched with years of hardship and worry. It gave him a somewhat disheveled and weather-beaten look, fitting with his hard-lived persona. Despite his appearance, his eyes held a kindness.
• The struggling sapling, fighting against the harsh mountain winds, developed a scraggly shape. Its branches twisted and turned in desperate attempts to find sunlight, making the young tree looked as though it was constantly in a struggle for its survival.
• She had a scraggly collection of mismatched books on her shelf; all of them with creased pages and worn covers. It was indicative of their frequent use. She valued them. Some were quite rare and made for an eclectic collection of old stories and forgotten histories.