dishevelled
Britishadjective
-
(esp of hair) hanging loosely
-
(of general appearance) unkempt; untidy
Etymology
Origin of dishevelled
C15 dischevelee, from Old French deschevelé, from des- dis- 1 + chevel hair, from Latin capillus
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.
When the security forces went in, they found a dishevelled 69-year-old man who had suffered several strokes.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Cabin manager co-workers later found him at the bottom of the stairs "dishevelled, pale, sweaty and erratic".
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2025
He said that visits by British officials had found his dad was "dishevelled and had lost a lot of weight", while his mum was not walking very well due to prison conditions.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2025
"He is believed to be more dishevelled than he appears in the photo with longer hair and an unkempt beard," a Met spokesperson said.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024
I shouted at her through the dishevelled blanket.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
