Synonyms of tousled

tousled 1 of 2

adjective

as in messy

lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness

a tousled pile of yarn and material scraps at the bottom of her craft box

Synonyms & Similar Words

• messy
• chaotic
• littered
• confused
• sloppy
• shaggy
• rumpled
• disheveled
• mussed
• jumbled
• cluttered
• filthy
• unkempt
• dirty
• tangled
• tumbled
• untidy
• mussy
• messed
• disarranged
• disordered
• disarrayed
• muddled
• wrinkled
• disorderly
• stained
• out of joint
• at sixes and sevens
• knotted
• blackened
• uncombed
• higgledy-piggledy
• smudged
• hugger-mugger
• pell-mell
• spotted
• topsy-turvy
• upside-down
• bedraggled
• grimy
• draggled
• nasty
• dingy
• grungy
• soiled
• slovenly
• begrimed
• grubby
• unclean
• frowsy
• squalid
• mucky
• sullied
• contaminated
• slatternly
• uncleanly
• dowdy
• polluted
• foul
• grotty
• tainted
• snarled
• adulterated
• cruddy
• befouled
• besmirched
• shabby
• sloven
• neglected
• defiled
• bemired
• negligent
• neglectful
• sordid
• seedy
• sleazy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• orderly
• trim
• tidy
• neat
• organized
• crisp
• cleaned
• uncluttered
• clean
• well-ordered
• sparkling
• immaculate
• kempt
• spotless
• shipshape
• ordered
• unsullied
• snug
• stainless
• hygienic
• systematic
• cleanly
• antiseptic
• unsoiled
• regular
• spick-and-span
• methodical
• tidied
• careful
• neatened
• systematized
• meticulous
• combed
• manicured
• fussy
• fastidious
• finicky
• bandbox
• groomed
• wholesome
• untainted
• unpolluted
• undefiled
• well-groomed
• taintless

tousled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tousle

as in disrupted

to undo the proper order or arrangement of

his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disrupted
• confused
• disturbed
• shuffled
• mussed
• disheveled
• jumbled
• disarranged
• rumpled
• scrambled
• disorganized
• disordered
• upset
• muddled
• deranged
• dislocated
• mixed (up)
• tumbled
• disjointed
• disarrayed
• tangled
• snarled
• hashed
• discomposed
• messed (up)
• perturbed
• unsettled
• cluttered
• embroiled
• stirred (up)
• entangled
• agitated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• organized
• arranged
• regulated
• ordered
• disposed
• ranged
• straightened (up)
• aligned
• lined
• drew up
• arrayed
• adjusted
• tidied
• classified
• lined up
• marshaled
• fixed
• codified
• systematized
• made up
• queued
• groomed
• methodized
• systemized
• spruced (up)
• unscrambled

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tousled

Adjective

Completed with a wide lace choker and tousled hair, the romantic dress was also the first glimpse into Versace’s next chapter. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Sea salt gives hair that tousled texture, while red microalgae extract helps counteract the drying effects of salt. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026

As the latest iteration of her signature red tresses, these braids are just like the songs on her latest studio album, Blue Island—frayed, perfectly tousled, and free-flowing. — Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Unlike the classic bob, which favors a smooth and polished finish, the messy bob’s signature tousled style embraces texture. — Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 13 Aug. 2026

The singer and actress, 33, received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while looking like a true rockstar in a grungy gown with tousled hair complemented by sleek and smokey makeup that exclusively used Maybelline New York products. — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026

To style a shag haircut, use texturizing spray and run your fingers through your hair for a tousled look. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 July 2026

Even in detention, Chavez, with a head full of tousled black hair and big brown eyes, had an easy laugh and smile. — Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 6 July 2026

A little more tousled than a traditional pixie cut, the Winona Ryder pixie cut can be adjusted to suit your own personal style. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 June 2026

Verb

Son’s hair got tousled and nobody wearing black and gold could stop smiling. — Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026

Like the French bob, the quintessential French pixie involves tousled loose waves and that effortless je-ne-sais-quoi attitude. — Audrey Noble, InStyle, 2 July 2026

Glam elements included Gerber’s hair tousled with a middle part and soft waves. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 June 2026

They were also joined in the auditorium by Boris Kudrin, who plays their teenage son Seryozha — at one point Mazurov tousled Kudrin’s hair. — Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026

His hair is frosted at the tips, carefully tousled; his eyes are alert, amused, ever-probing. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2026

Her signature copper red hair, styled by Halley Brisker, was worn softly tousled down her back. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026

Kardashian, 45, showed off a pair of ice-blue contact lenses and wore her chocolate brown hair tousled across her shoulders. — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026

Whether it was tousled by hand or pulled back in a tortoiseshell headband, Bessette’s length and color followed the same effortless code of her wardrobe, leaving us with enduring hair inspiration even after her untimely passing. — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026