disheveled
adjective
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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
Examples of disheveled in a Sentence
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Her brunette hair was piled atop the crown of her head to form a disheveled bun.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 15 Aug. 2023
Butler pointed at a crowd of listless, disheveled men who are forever sitting outside a McDonald’s.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023
Then two dancers driving down a main strip in Kansas City saw a disheveled man walking along the sidewalk.
—Matt Kempner, ajc, 23 June 2023
For decades, claims of the actress haunting the area persisted, with visitors reporting seeing a disheveled blonde woman appear and then suddenly vanish.
—Nathan Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 July 2023
For years, it’s been a slightly disheveled retreat in search of a purpose.
—Developing Governors Island, Curbed, 11 May 2023
One such shot, from 1973, depicted the blues musician B.B. King lounging in the bed of a Philadelphia hotel wearing disheveled pajamas, looking weary but at ease, with a pipe in hand.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 20 June 2023
Wrinkled clothes are the bane of every traveler’s existence — there’s nothing worse than donning an incredible dress for a busy travel day, only to arrive looking like a disheveled mess.
—Jill Schildhouse, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disheveled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English discheveled bareheaded, with disordered hair, partial translation of Anglo-French deschevelé, from des- dis- + chevoil hair, from Latin capillus
1583, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Disheveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disheveled. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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disheveled
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on disheveled
Nglish: Translation of disheveled for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of disheveled for Arabic Speakers
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