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disheveled 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈshev-əld How to pronounce disheveled (audio)
variants or dishevelled
Definition of dishevelednext
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness I got my suit pressed so I wouldn't look so disheveled for the wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

disheveled

2 of 2

verb

variants or dishevelled
past tense of dishevel
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of decorations for the garden wedding that had been disheveled by the wind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disheveled
Adjective
Graham could sometimes come off as a disheveled mess of a man. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 But if your cabinets and closets are perfectly organized and your home still feels disheveled, mini design mistakes could be to blame. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Verb
Boots were made to look deliberately disheveled, with tiny ladybirds across them. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 As for the sweatpants, the wide-leg silhouette is roomy but not disheveled, and the drawstring waist is easy to adjust. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disheveled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheveled
  1. messy
  2. disrupted
  3. chaotic
  4. confused
  5. littered
  6. disturbed
  7. filthy
  8. shuffled
Adjective
  • Both parties emerged from the progressive era as messy coalitions of diverse constituencies and interests, not uniform ideologies.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
  • This is where things get messy, and many folks — oligarchs in particular — become invested in keeping the general voter confused.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of messy
Verb
  • Improved logistics for Saudi crude exports have reduced the market's assessment of how much supply is at risk, Massabni said, adding that oil prices reflect not just available barrels but also the probability of those supplies being disrupted.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Their fragile relationship is disrupted when Sethu encounters a feral child in the forest and brings him home.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • Local officials said the scene on the ground was chaotic, with multiple people taken to area hospitals.
    — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Gilbertson’s involvement in the ports grew out of a series of chaotic mergers that in the 1990s led to endless disputes among shippers and the railroads about whose cargo would move first.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Verb
  • After she was placed under arrest, Boucher appeared confused by the slow-moving process.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Not to be confused with inverted full backs, an inverted winger is a wide player who is used on the opposite side of the pitch to their strong foot — so a left-footer on the right or a right-footer on the left.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.
    — Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of littered
Verb
  • But for anyone disturbed by the way To Catch a Predator executes its faux-law enforcement busts, the movie risks becoming viscerally unpleasant.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So grotesque that even the DP and the focus puller were disturbed.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • That praise rings true more than a decade later thanks to joke after filthy joke, cameo after foul-mouthed cameo, scare after genuine scare.
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Verb
  • In any case, Babcock is now tasked with rejuvenating a team that took a massive step backward last season and only shuffled a few pieces during the offseason.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studios either shuffled their product directly to streaming or waited a mere 17 days for their films to become available to buy or rent at home.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuffled

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Cite this Entry

“Disheveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheveled. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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