straggly

Word family

• straggle
  verbB2
• straggler
  nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Straggly specifically describes something that grows or spreads in thin, irregular strands — almost always hair, beards, plants, or branches. Untidy is the most general: a room, a desk, or handwriting can all be untidy, but only growing things can be straggly. Scruffy is more informal and carries a stronger negative charge; it suggests an overall neglected, slightly dirty look, whereas straggly can simply describe the physical shape of something. Unkempt is more formal and typically describes a person's hair or general appearance that has clearly not been cared for. Dishevelled usually points to temporary disorder — hair messed up after sleep, clothes rumpled after a long journey — while straggly implies a more lasting, ingrained state. You might say a traveller looked dishevelled after a night on the bus, but the overgrown hedge in their garden was straggly.

Common collocations

Etymology

Formed from the verb straggle (to grow or spread in an untidy way) plus the adjective suffix -y. Straggle comes from Middle English straglen, meaning to wander away from a group or main path — the same root idea behind stray. The adjective straggly emerged in the 19th century to describe the visual result: branches, hair, or other growth that looks as if it has wandered off in all directions instead of staying neat and contained.