ruffled
AmericanEtymology
Origin of ruffled
Explanation
Ruffled things are frilly, or edged with fancy ruffles. Your little sister might love her ruffled dress so much that she wants to wear it every day. A bird's ruffled feathers provide it some protection as well as looking attractive to potential mates. You can also describe things that are mussed or rumpled, by a hand or the wind, for example, as ruffled. Your dog's ruffled fur might be caused by the breeze — or she might have her hackles up because she sees her mortal enemy, the mail carrier. The root of ruffled is probably the Low German ruffelen, "to wrinkle or curl."
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.
Although she was dressed in a ruffled, all-white dress, they thankfully did not get married on the spot.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
That approach ruffled feathers across the sport, as detractors argued that the offseason shopping spree was against the spirit of college sports—a bridge too far even in the wild west of today’s NCAA.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Italy's eager back row soaked up England's ponderous forward rumbles and when the ball went wide, their defensive shape was barely ruffled.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
She was amazingly well dressed, in a light-pink jacket with a ruffled shirt underneath.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
