dishevel
Americanverb (used with object)
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to let down, as hair, or wear or let hang in loose disorder, as clothing.
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to cause untidiness and disarray in.
The wind disheveled the papers on the desk.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dishevel
First recorded in 1590–1600; back formation from disheveled
Explanation
To dishevel is to mess up slightly, the way a breeze might dishevel your carefully combed hair. This verb is nearly always used to talk about tousling someone's hair or mussing their clothes or bedding. So you might carefully tuck in your sheets and comforter only to watch your puppy jump on the bed and dishevel them. Or you might reach over and dishevel your little brother's curls when he's looking particularly adorable. The adjective disheveled came first, from the Old French descheveler, "disarrange the hair."
Vocabulary lists containing dishevel
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
With rant and revel My hair I dishevel, And I am the queen of Astrofelle.
From Love Letters of a Violinist and Other Poems by Eric Mackay
Shake down thy hair and dishevel it, so!—that is excellent.
From The Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales by Richard Garnett
I find it clear and very clarifying, after the innumerable hours I have spent in trying to dishevel him.
From The Letters of William James, Vol. II by William James
“Know you not ’tis rank treason to discrown our sacred Majesty, far more to dishevel or destroy our locks?
From A Reputed Changeling Or Three Seventh Years Two Centuries Ago by Charlotte Mary Yonge
Eve dishevel Your hair for the bliss-drenched revel On our primal loam.
From Look! We Have Come Through! by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence
When Jackie was rescued from the shore of Big Bear Lake weeks ago, she was underweight and disheveled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
At one point, when Graham looked “absolutely disheveled and exhausted,” Holder said, the senator complained that others weren’t helping him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Upon initial evaluation, she was weak and tired, with disheveled feathers and mud-caked feet, according to Kristine Koh, volunteer rehab manager for the San Dimas Raptor Rescue, which is part of the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Old Town, my slightly disheveled neighborhood of churches, Mexican-adjacent tchotchke shops, is where missionaries established their first mission, colonizing the town that belonged to the country south of the US border.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
McCoy stood before the scoreboard, his gray hair disheveled, his suit wrinkled.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
In this stylish, morally disheveling work, there might be less of a distinction than you think.
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2019
We come, shoe-strings dragging, skirts impeding, wind disheveling, holding on to inappropriate head-gear, feathers awry, victims of old-time convictions, unadapted to modern conditions, amateur marchers, poorly uniformed—but here we come—just count us—here we come!
From The Fifth Wheel A Novel by Olive Higgins Prouty
When the security forces went in, they found a dishevelled 69-year-old man who had suffered several strokes.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The friendly tabby was in great health, her fur was fine and she did not look "dishevelled".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
On Friday, he flipped his Range Rover on a quiet residential street on Florida's Jupiter Island and the world was treated to another dishevelled mugshot of one of sport's most famous faces.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
It's a spectacular downfall for Silicon Valley's dishevelled wunderkind, who rubbed elbows with celebrities like Gisele and Tom Brady.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2023
Bag End seemed sad and gloomy and dishevelled.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
That interior was singularly restful, pleasant, after the confused and dishevelling night.
From The Three Black Pennys A Novel by Joseph Hergesheimer
It was an embarras de richesses rarely met with; and in the rich and precious braids the ivory fingers were clutched, dishevelling them, tearing at them, in the excess of pain.
From Dr. Dumany's Wife by Mór Jókai
As they descended the stairs, Lord Pomfret emerged from the library, cramming cigarettes into his case with the dishevelling manipulation of the belated swain.
From Anthony Lyveden by Dornford Yates
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