disheveled

adjective

di·​shev·​eled di-ˈshev-əld 

variants or dishevelled

: marked by disorder or disarray

disheveled hair

Did you know?

Disheveled comes from Middle English discheveled, meaning "bareheaded" or "with disordered hair." That word is partially based on Anglo-French deschevelé, a combination of the prefix des- ("dis-") and chevoil ("hair"). In English, disheveled describes things other than hair that have a messy or untidy appearance.

Synonyms

• chaotic
• cluttered
• confused
• disarranged
• disarrayed
• disordered
• disorderly
• higgledy-piggledy
• hugger-mugger
• jumbled
• littered
• messed
• messy
• muddled
• mussed
• mussy
• pell-mell
• rumpled
• sloppy
• topsy-turvy
• tousled
• tumbled
• unkempt
• untidy
• upside-down

Examples of disheveled in a Sentence

His wrinkled suit gave him a disheveled appearance.

They looked dirty and disheveled.

Recent Examples on the Web

McKinnon is wearing her character Colleen’s trademark jeans, a disheveled brown wig, and a dangling cigarette. —Anne McCarthy, Variety, 14 Apr. 2024

Photos presented of the home in court showed a disheveled home before authorities conducted a search. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English discheveled bareheaded, with disordered hair, partial translation of Anglo-French deschevelé, from des- dis- + chevoil hair, from Latin capillus

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

disheveled

adjective

variants or dishevelled

: marked by disorder

disheveled hair