Word of the Day

Often a word or phrase that I know is real will hound me until I look it up.  When I do, I can usually understand why in the same way that I attach meaning to a dream I've had.  Last night, or early this morning as was actually the case, the words that plagued me were "haggard" and "bedraggled".   Haggard was a word that I was familiar with.  In the past, I had used it carelessly to sympathize with a colleague at work and offended her.  Bedraggled, on the other hand, was one of those words that just sounds like it feels and I wasn't sure if it was a real word or just one that I wish were a real word.  I put it out of mind for a while, but I kept waking up. Since both haggard and bedraggled refer to appearance, they can't really describe how I felt, but having seen myself in the mirror after a month of not shaving made it clear why I had bedraggled on the brain. I'm pretty sure that if I looked half as bad as I felt, anyone would have called my appearance haggard.  I still haven't found exactly the word that I was looking for, but it must be akin to frazzled, exasperated, or burdened and enervated. I've been struggling with a problem that is exciting and frustrating, but right now, it's more frustrating than exciting and that's what has me so .... damn what's the word!