disarray

1 of 2

noun

dis·​ar·​ray ˌdis-ə-ˈrā 

1

: a lack of order or sequence : confusion, disorder

the room was in disarray

… the disarray of paper in the In-Out basket …

—Jackie Weger

2

: disorderly dress : dishabille

disarray

2 of 2

verb

disarrayed; disarraying; disarrays

transitive verb

1

: to throw into disorder

The discarded magazines and newspapers, the layers of dust and disarrayed rugs …

—Gloria Naylor

2

: undress

Synonyms

Noun

• chance-medley
• chaos
• confusion
• disarrangement
• dishevelment
• disorder
• disorderedness
• disorderliness
• disorganization
• free-for-all
• havoc
• heck
• hell
• jumble
• mare's nest
• mess
• messiness
• misorder
• muddle
• muss
• shambles
• snake pit
• tumble
• welter

Verb

• confuse
• derange
• disarrange
• discompose
• dishevel
• disjoint
• dislocate
• disorder
• disorganize
• disrupt
• disturb
• hash
• jumble
• mess (up)
• mix (up)
• muddle
• muss
• rumple
• scramble
• shuffle
• tousle
• tumble
• upset

Examples of disarray in a Sentence

Noun

The room was in disarray.

The company has fallen into complete disarray.

Verb

he had accidentally disarrayed his brother's CDs, leaving a telltale sign of borrowing without permission

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But ever since the doc marketplace fell into disarray several years ago, an increasing number of celebrities have stopped simply slapping their names onto titles. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 8 Dec. 2024

Next game: Idle Safe scale: 3/10 Like Indiana, the Crimson Tide are in the playoff field if upsets don’t throw this weekend into disarray. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024

Verb

The film’s most trenchant scenes involve Gere in states of repose or regret or nostalgia, especially when psychically disarrayed in a chair with a camera facing toward him, wondering what, for example, desire smells like. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024

Seen in a video that moves through the abandoned and disarrayed hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in northern Gaza were several babies whose unattended bodies lay on separate hospital beds. —Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English disaraye, disaray "disorder, broken military formation," borrowed from Anglo-French dissairay, noun derivative of desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder" — more at disarray entry 2

Verb

Middle English disarraien "to break up (a military formation), throw into disorder," borrowed from Anglo-French desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder," from des- dis- + arraier, arreyer, aroier "to arrange, order, marshal, equip, attire" — more at array entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

disarray

1 of 2 noun

dis·​ar·​ray ˌdis-ə-ˈrā 

1

: a lack of order : confusion, disorder

the room was in disarray

2

: disorderly dress

disarray

2 of 2 verb

: to throw into disorder