noun
Meaning 1
An irregular, spread-out group.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
straggle
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈstɹæɡl̩/
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rhymes with -æɡəl
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: S T R AE1 G AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
An outlier; something that has strayed beyond the normal limits.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To stray, rove, or wander from a normal course and others of its kind.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- He straggled away from the crowd and went off on his own.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To act in a disorderly and irregular way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
Grow or hang messily.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The roses had been allowed to straggle across the path.
- A few gray wisps straggled from underneath his cap.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To move along slowly so as to remain some distance behind the person or people in front.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
a wandering or disorderly grouping (of things or persons)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a straggle of outbuildings
- a straggle of followers
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: group, grouping
verb
Meaning 8
go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Branches straggling out quite far
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sprawl
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spread, distribute
verb
Meaning 9
wander from a direct or straight course
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sidetrack, depart, digress
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: deviate, divert
History
Etymology
From Middle English straglen, of uncertain origin, possibly from (or cognate to) dialectal Norwegian stragla (“to walk laboriously”).
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: отклонявам се (otklonjavam se) — to stray from the road
- Dutch: afdwalen — to stray from the road
- Esperanto: devojiĝi — to stray from the road
- Finnish: eksyä — to stray from the road
- German: abweichen — to stray from the road
- German: abschweifen — to stray from the road
- Italian: distaccarsi — to stray from the road
- Italian: disperdersi — to stray from the road
- Māori: tūtārere — to stray from the road
- Russian: отби́ться (otbítʹsja) — to stray from the road
- Russian: сби́ться (sbítʹsja) — to stray from the road
- Bulgarian: блуждая (bluždaja) — to wander about
- Czech: courat se — to wander about
- Czech: trousit se — to wander about
- Finnish: kuljeksia — to wander about
- German: umherwandern — to wander about
- German: herumwandern — to wander about
- German: wandern — to wander about
- German: herumstreifen — to wander about
- German: umherstreifen — to wander about
- Italian: girovagare — to wander about
- Latin: pālor — to wander about
- Māori: tūtārere — to wander about
- Russian: блужда́ть (bluždátʹ) — to wander about
- Russian: броди́ть (brodítʹ) — to wander about
- Bulgarian: разпръсвам се (razprǎsvam se) — to spread at irregular intervals
- Finnish: levitellä — to spread at irregular intervals
- German: abspreizen — to spread at irregular intervals
- German: ausstrecken — to spread at irregular intervals
- German: herausstehen — to spread at irregular intervals
- German: wuchern — to spread at irregular intervals
- German: sich zerstreuen — to spread at irregular intervals
- German: verstreuen — to spread at irregular intervals
- Italian: sparpagliarsi — to spread at irregular intervals
- Māori: tūtārere — to spread at irregular intervals