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

Embodying the punk-rock vibes Vivienne Westwood’s brand was founded on, Lyonne was done up with graphic black smoky eyes, while her red hair was tousled and voluminous. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026

Wild And Free Shag Lots of layers, short bangs, and a tousled style make this a shag Joan Jett would approve of. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026

With her hair cut into a tousled lob and a pair of oval sunglasses perched on her face, her take felt a little more relaxed. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026

To pull off this look, regardless of the cut, straighten the roots perfectly and, from midlengths to ends, go for unstructured waves or a tousled effect. — María Diez, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2026

The star wore dark eye makeup and her hair had been styled into loose, tousled waves. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

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

Verb

Remember to break up the curls with your fingers to give your hair that tousled look, and finish with plenty of hairspray. — María Diez, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2026

Anderson was spotted with her platinum bob tousled and tangled at the Tory Burch fall 2026 ready-to-wear show during New York Fashion Week in February, too. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

After rejoining the platform on January 1, 2025, Meghan wished Harry a happy birthday last September 15 by sharing a throwback photo of Harry in uniform, his hair tousled. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 15 Sep. 2026

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