A ragged individual wears very damaged and dirty clothing
The adjective tattered is used to describe someone who dresses in tatters . A rag , meanwhile, is clothing that is in poor condition, dirty or very old .
bad appearance
He who is ragged is usually disheveled . This means that he does not take care of his appearance or pay attention to his appearance . That is why the ragged person usually wears clothes with very obvious stains or tears, does not wash or comb his hair, etc.
The usual thing is that the ragged person is frowned upon by society . Each individual is expected to take care of his or her own personal hygiene and the cleanliness of the clothes he or she wears. In formal settings, such as in the workplace, being tattered is particularly more serious and can even lead to punishment .
But this leads us to a very important distinction before moving forward: neglecting one's own image on a whim is not the same as neglecting one's own image for reasons of force majeure , such as poverty . It is necessary to understand that the lack of economic resources often leads people to terrible lives, typical of a nightmare, and that we should not use their physical appearance to criticize them, as if they wanted to wear rags and go days or weeks without taking a bath.
The use of this and other terms, such as "linyera", " tramp " or "beggar" may seem appropriate to describe these people, but we do not stop to think about what they feel when they hear them. Why not just say “a person who sleeps on the street” or “who is homeless”? Why create derogatory and denigrating labels to talk about another living being without any compassion for their situation?
When it is not literal
It is important to mention that the concept can also be applied to clothing and worn or dirty objects : "Are you wearing those tattered pants again?" I don't understand you, you have several more to choose from…” , “My baby doesn't want to leave his tattered doll,” “The tattered hotel sheets made me very sick.”
Tattered can also be used symbolically with reference to something deteriorated or damaged : "This tattered democracy does not guarantee the rights of citizens," "Upon entering the city, I was surprised by its tattered streets," "The actor lived for several months in a shabby apartment until he got his first job .
In these sentences, we can notice that the term is not used literally, but rather its meaning is applied to clothing or objects that are not in good condition and that are not liked by the interlocutor . This type of exaggerated use is very common in everyday speech, like when we say "I'm dying!" faced with shocking news.
For example: "You shouldn't come to the office that ragged, you could be punished" , "I think I'm a little ragged to go to dinner, I'd better change and then we'll go out" , "Who is that ragged man who is chatting so lively with Mary?" .
Tattered, neglected and unhygienic objects
The weight of opinion
Until now we have seen this term to refer to a poor person who wears damaged and dirty clothing , as well as to talk about worn-out clothing or objects in general. Although at first glance these situations do not seem to have much in common, the discomfort they cause to those who observe them is hidden.
Society tends to give its opinion about everything, with or without foundations, leaving compassion aside. "This one is a climber", "that one is a ragman", "that one doesn't write his books"; We always have something to say, as if we were experts in everything. We should take a step back, breathe and think that our words can greatly hurt those who receive them . Talking about the lack of hygiene or the slovenliness of others is probably unnecessary in 99 percent of the cases.