disheveled
adjective
di·shev·eled
di-ˈshev-əld 
variants
or dishevelled
: marked by disorder or disarray
disheveled hair
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Disheveled comes from Middle English discheveled, meaning "bareheaded" or "with disordered hair." That word is partially based on Anglo-French deschevelé, a combination of the prefix des- ("dis-") and chevoil ("hair"). In English, disheveled describes things other than hair that have a messy or untidy appearance.
Synonyms
Examples of disheveled in a Sentence
His wrinkled suit gave him a disheveled appearance.
They looked dirty and disheveled.
Recent Examples on the Web
The sharing of photos has become an extension of the dazed first hours after Assad’s ouster a week ago, when everyday Syrians wandered the presidential palace and its disheveled signs of a rapid departure.
—
Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
At the New York City premiere of his new film, A Complete Unknown, Chalamet, 28, showed up on Friday, December 13 with straightened blonde hair and a disheveled outfit — a stark contrast from his regular appearance.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
In November 2021, a disheveled stowaway emerged from an electrical compartment of an airliner in Miami, after an American Airlines flight from Guatemala City.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
This latest gambit is a reflection of their disheveled mentality.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
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Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
At the New York City premiere of his new film, A Complete Unknown, Chalamet, 28, showed up on Friday, December 13 with straightened blonde hair and a disheveled outfit — a stark contrast from his regular appearance.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
In November 2021, a disheveled stowaway emerged from an electrical compartment of an airliner in Miami, after an American Airlines flight from Guatemala City.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
This latest gambit is a reflection of their disheveled mentality.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for disheveled
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Cite this Entry
“Disheveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disheveled. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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