# run someone ragged

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/run-someone-ragged
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

## Examples

- The busy restaurant shift really ran me ragged today.
- My toddler has so much energy that he runs me ragged by the end of every afternoon.
- The demanding project manager ran his entire team ragged, insisting on constant revisions until they were all completely exhausted.

## Origin

From run and ragged, in the sense of being exhausted or run down.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.