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.
The friendly tabby was in great health, her fur was fine and she did not look "dishevelled".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
They're dishevelled because they've just got off a bus to Glasgow, ahead of show 82.
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026
Cabin manager co-workers later found him at the bottom of the stairs "dishevelled, pale, sweaty and erratic".
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2025
His background - a teacher, a football coach, an Army National Guard enlisted soldier - broadcasts "meat-and-potatoes middle America", as does perhaps his balding, rotund, slightly dishevelled appearance.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2024
Wild-eyed and dishevelled, he seemed to shrink back from the light, and closed the door behind us.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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.
