disarray

1 of 2

noun

dis·​ar·​ray ˌdis-ə-ˈrā 

1

: a lack of order or sequence : confusion, disorder

the room was in disarray

… the disarray of paper in the In-Out basket …

—Jackie Weger

2

: disorderly dress : dishabille

disarray

2 of 2

verb

disarrayed; disarraying; disarrays

transitive verb

1

: to throw into disorder

The discarded magazines and newspapers, the layers of dust and disarrayed rugs …

—Gloria Naylor

2

: undress

Synonyms

Noun

• chance-medley
• chaos
• confusion
• disarrangement
• dishevelment
• disorder
• disorderedness
• disorderliness
• disorganization
• free-for-all
• havoc
• heck
• hell
• jumble
• mare's nest
• mess
• messiness
• misorder
• muddle
• muss
• shambles
• snake pit
• tumble
• welter

Verb

• confuse
• derange
• disarrange
• discompose
• dishevel
• disjoint
• dislocate
• disorder
• disorganize
• disrupt
• disturb
• hash
• jumble
• mess (up)
• mix (up)
• muddle
• muss
• rumple
• scramble
• shuffle
• tousle
• tumble
• upset

Examples of disarray in a Sentence

Noun

The room was in disarray.

The company has fallen into complete disarray.

Verb

he had accidentally disarrayed his brother's CDs, leaving a telltale sign of borrowing without permission

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

President Emmanuel Macron plunged France into political disarray with snap elections and now faces the nearly intractable decision of finding a prime minister capable of charting a path forward. —Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune Europe, 9 July 2024

If no alliance or party receives a clear mandate to form a government, the elections could throw French politics further into disarray. —Rick Noack, Washington Post, 28 June 2024

Verb

Seen in a video that moves through the abandoned and disarrayed hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in northern Gaza were several babies whose unattended bodies lay on separate hospital beds. —Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023

Hybrid data is here to stay, so don’t let data disarray slow innovation or undermine smart business decision making. —Ram Venkatesh, Forbes, 10 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English disaraye, disaray "disorder, broken military formation," borrowed from Anglo-French dissairay, noun derivative of desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder" — more at disarray entry 2

Verb

Middle English disarraien "to break up (a military formation), throw into disorder," borrowed from Anglo-French desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder," from des- dis- + arraier, arreyer, aroier "to arrange, order, marshal, equip, attire" — more at array entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

disarray

1 of 2 noun

dis·​ar·​ray ˌdis-ə-ˈrā 

1

: a lack of order : confusion, disorder

the room was in disarray

2

: disorderly dress

disarray

2 of 2 verb

: to throw into disorder