jagged

jagged — adjective

1. describes a surface or edge that is not smooth and has many sharp, pointed, or u

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a surface or edge that is not smooth and has many sharp, pointed, or uneven parts that stick out

Example

Cyrus cut his hand on the jagged edge of the broken bottle.

collocation: jagged edge

The hiker carefully climbed over the jagged rocks near the cliff.

collocation: jagged rocks

Common collocations
  • jagged edge
  • jagged rocks
  • jagged cliffs
  • jagged glass
  • jagged teeth
  • jagged outline
Synonyms
  • rough

    more general — refers to any non-smooth surface, not necessarily with sharp points

  • uneven

    focuses on lack of flatness rather than sharpness; less dangerous in connotation

  • serrated

    specifically describes an intentionally cut tooth-like edge, such as on a knife or saw; not accidental

  • ragged

    describes a torn or frayed edge, more associated with fabric or paper than hard materials

Antonyms
  • smooth

    completely even, without bumps or sharp points

  • even

    flat and regular across the surface

Grammar Patterns

jagged + noun (attributive)

be + jagged (predicative)

Usage Note

Focuses on accidental or natural unevenness, not intentionally designed serrations. Common with nouns describing broken objects, natural landscapes, or damaged surfaces.

Common Mistakes

The bread knife has a jagged blade.
The bread knife has a serrated blade.
'jagged' describes accidental sharp unevenness; 'serrated' describes intentionally made tooth-like edges.

Word family

  • jag
    nounC1
  • jaggedly
    adverbC1
  • jaggedness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Jagged describes a surface with sharp, pointed irregularities, often dangerous (jagged rocks, jagged glass). Rough is the broadest term — it covers any non-smooth texture, from sandpaper to gravel, without implying sharpness. Uneven simply means not level or flat; a carpet with wrinkles is uneven but not jagged. Serrated is the technical term for an intentionally cut tooth pattern (a serrated knife), while jagged implies accidental breakage. Ragged is best for torn fabric, paper, or cloth edges — softer materials rather than hard surfaces. For example: 'The climber avoided the jagged rocks' (sharp, dangerous), but 'She ran her hand over the rough stone wall' (textured, not necessarily sharp).

jagged ↗rough ↗uneven ↗serratedragged

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

ScandinavianMiddle EnglishEnglish

Jagged comes from an old word 'jag' meaning a sharp point or notch, which appeared in English around the 1300s. The '-ed' ending turns it into an adjective meaning 'having jags'. The earlier source may be from Scandinavian languages, where similar words meant 'to pierce' or 'to cut'. It has kept its physical, sharp-edged meaning for over seven hundred years.