tousle

American  

[tou-zuhl] / ˈtaʊ zəl /

Or touzle

verb (used with object)

tousled, tousling

1. to disorder or dishevel.

   The wind tousled our hair.

2. to handle roughly.

---

noun

1. a disheveled or rumpled mass, especially of hair.

2. a disordered, disheveled, or tangled condition.

tousle British  

/ ˈtaʊzəl /

verb

1. to tangle, ruffle, or disarrange

2. to treat roughly

---

noun

1. a disorderly, tangled, or rumpled state

2. a dishevelled or disordered mass, esp of hair

Etymology

Origin of tousle

1400–50; late Middle English touselen (v.); cognate with Low German tūseln. See touse, -le

Explanation

To tousle is to mess up. The disadvantage of riding in a flashy red convertible is that the wind might tousle your careful hairdo. This old verb with a solid English pedigree has earned the right to only a part-time job after its 600 years of service to the language. Though it means "to make untidy," it's a rare writer these days who applies it to anything but hair — and then usually only by way of the adjective tousled. The origin is Germanic, and tousle is closely related to both tussle and tease.

Example Sentences

New to the block: Tousle your hair and get your acid wash jeans out of storage.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2018