Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) to dress up, to wear one’s best clothes.

1864		J. Beckwith Winthrops 47: Law sakes, how your sister Mrs. Houghton is ragged out!
1865		‘Artemus Ward’ Travels (1866) 180: We air goin’ right straight through in these here clothes, we air! We ain’t goin’ to rag out till we git to Nevady!
1869		S. Bowles Our New West 506: A finely dressed woman ‘rags out’.
1890		C.H. Hoyt Texas Steer (1925) II 20: Speaking of clothes, don’t you think me and ma are ragged out pretty well for folks right off a ranch? [DA].
1903		E.W. Townsend Sure 61: Duchess was ragged out in some close Miss Fannie passed on to her, and Maggie was ragged out in some Duchess had passed on to her.
1944		‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.

2. (US/Can.) to be in a bad mood.

1986		Totally True Diaries of an Eighties Roller Queen 🌐 7 Apr. My mom is still ragging out. She won’t let me bum smokes off her anymore.
1995		Eble Campus Sl. Dec. 5: raggin’ – in a bad mood.