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disheveled

[ dih-shev-uhld ]
/ dɪˈʃɛv əld /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR disheveled ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt: disheveled hair.
untidy; disarranged: a disheveled appearance.

RELATED WORDS

messy, bedraggled, disordered, dirty, tousled, ruffled, frowzy, grubby, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, untidy, mussy, blowzy, scuzzy

Nearby words

  1. dished,
  2. dishelm,
  3. disherison,
  4. disherit,
  5. dishevel,
  6. dishevelled,
  7. dishful,
  8. dishonest,
  9. dishonesty,
  10. dishonor
Also especially British, di·shev·elled.

Origin of disheveled

1375–1425; late Middle English discheveled < Old French deschevele, past participle of descheveler to dishevel the hair, equivalent to des- dis-1 + -cheveler, derivative of chevel a hair < Latin capillus
Related formsun·di·shev·eled, adjective

Definition for disheveled (2 of 2)

dishevel

[ dih-shev-uh l ]
/ dɪˈʃɛv əl /

verb (used with object), di·shev·eled, di·shev·el·ing or (especially British) di·shev·elled, di·shev·el·ling.

to let down, as hair, or wear or let hang in loose disorder, as clothing.
to cause untidiness and disarray in: The wind disheveled the papers on the desk.

Origin of dishevel

First recorded in 1590–1600; back formation from disheveled
Related formsdi·shev·el·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for disheveled

British Dictionary definitions for disheveled

dishevel

/ (dɪˈʃɛvəl) /

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

to disarrange (the hair or clothes) of (someone)
Derived Formsdishevelment, noun

Word Origin for dishevel

C15: back formation from dishevelled
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012