Variation around "scruffy"

Scruffy
untidy, dirty


[person, appearance]   débraillé (e)      
[clothes, jeans,]   dépenaillé (e)      
[hair]   hirsute   
[flat, street]   miteux (-euse)  

• This part of the city is scruffy

Shabby
old and in bad condition, dressed in clothes that are old or in bad condition, of low quality

• shabby clothes/furniture/building. - rapé usé
• The children were all so shabby and hungry.
• feel shabby: Linda felt shabby standing next to Andrea in her fashionable clothes
• The whole affair was rather shabby.
• He blasted the lawyers for submitting such shabby paperwork.
• a shop selling shabby goods

Ragged
torn and dirty, wearing old dirty clothes and looking very poor

• a pair of ragged shorts. - en lambeaux, en loques
• ragged posters hung on the walls.
• ragged children playing in the street

with edges that are not straight or smooth

• the ragged appearance of a bite wound

not skilful or organized

• It was a pretty ragged performance from the champions.

not smooth or regular

• He took a few ragged breaths and began to run again.- irrégulier

Figurative

• Ragged edge. - mauvaise passe
• on the ragged edge. - dans la limite, au bord de l'abîme