higgledy-piggledy

[ hig-uh l-dee-pig-uh l-dee ]
/ ˈhɪg əl diˈpɪg əl di /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR higgledy-piggledy ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

in a jumbled, confused, or disorderly manner; helter-skelter.

adjective

confused; jumbled.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of higgledy-piggledy

First recorded in 1590–1600; rhyming compound of uncertain origin

Words nearby higgledy-piggledy

higashiosaka, higashiyama, higgins, higginson, higgle, higgledy-piggledy, higgler, higgs boson, high, high altar, high and dry
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to higgledy-piggledy

chaotic, disordered, disorderly, disorganized, haywire, helter-skelter, involved, jumbled, messy, miscellaneous, mistaken, misunderstood, obscured, snafu, top, anarchic, blurred

Example sentences from the Web for higgledy-piggledy

British Dictionary definitions for higgledy-piggledy

higgledy-piggledy
/ (ˈhɪɡəldɪˈpɪɡəldɪ) informal /

adjective, adverb

in a jumble

noun

a muddle
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