disorderly

adjective

Definition of disorderlynext
1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority disorderly mobs roamed the streets after the fall of the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness disorderly piles of clothes on various tables about the room

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 disorderly But the retreat underscores how quickly leveraged positions can shift when market conditions change and highlights the risk of a disorderly unwind during periods of stress. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, her fringe, colored the same dirty blond as the rest of her head, met the tops of her brows in a disorderly manner. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 2026 Bessent’s maneuvers are distinct, some observers say, by not being prompted by crisis or particularly disorderly market conditions. — Christopher Anstey, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 By 2002, Beijing decided to rein in the disorderly competition. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disorderly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorderly
  1. criminal
  2. messy
  3. rebellious
  4. chaotic
  5. anarchic
  6. littered
  7. unruly
  8. sloppy
Adjective
  • Also Sunday, prosecutors ordered a 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, Vucic's chief of criminal police.
    — MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Linn County prosecutors did not file criminal charges, but the church would not allow Moore to work with children, youth and vulnerable adults.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • Quality, innovation, customer value and decision-making are messier, and leaders should be cautious about claiming AI caused an improvement when many factors may have contributed.
    — Subha Barry, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Unlike the real thing, electric fireplaces emit no smoke and leave no messy ashes after use.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • With its choppy layers, tousled texture, and extra length at the nape, this wolf cut brought a rebellious twist to her usual regal aesthetic.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The selection also features Dutch director Sabine Lubbe Bakker’s Premier Souffle, exploring whether a rebellious outsider can find her place in the world after years of isolation from her community.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • In order to avoid large crowds and a chaotic shopping experience, customers might want to stay away from Costco on certain afternoons.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Engineered with bold resonant audio and booming bass, an IP67 waterproof and dustproof exterior, up to 20 hours of battery life, and convenient USB-C charge-out support, it is built for every chaotic adventure.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • But while our online worlds have since expanded, the real-world space for anarchic creativity has shrunk.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The poet, Pavese implies, is a creature of Chaos—that anarchic state in which good is mixed with bad and monsters mingle with men and gods.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of anarchic
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
Adjective
  • Each flight disruption could cost airlines as much as $250,000, on a par with the possible costs of dealing with an unruly passenger, said Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Her search for the soirée unfolds through a series of increasingly unruly hotel encounters, with The Scene Bag, The Tote Bag and the winter 2026 collection pulled into the plot along the way.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of unruly
Adjective
  • Charlotte won the rebound battle 51 to 44, but left the Pistons open way too often and were sloppy with the ball, committing 25 turnovers.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Lakers were sloppy with the basketball, turning it over 22 times.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of sloppy

Phrases Containing disorderly

Browse Nearby Words

disorderliness
disorderly
disorderly house
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disorderly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorderly. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abandon

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All