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.
We’re sorry for any ruffled feathers, but someone has to say this after the outpouring of scorn directed at Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Cheaper and faster models coming from developers in China -- particularly from DeepSeek and Moonshot -- have ruffled feathers, and raised concerns about intellectual property theft, in the US.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Eala wins 'for all the girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks'
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Although she was dressed in a ruffled, all-white dress, they thankfully did not get married on the spot.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Often silent, sometimes swearing, always pointedly looking at me, neck feathers ruffled, wings half out, beak extended.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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.
