tousled
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of tousled
Explanation
Anything that's tousled is rumpled or disheveled, like your tousled hair when you first get out of bed in the morning. The adjective tousled can be used for anything that's untidy, but you'll usually see it describing a head of hair. Tousled hair is messy, windblown, or otherwise unkempt. The verb tousle came first—today it means "make untidy," but originally to tousle was "to handle or push roughly."
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.
Bardot starred in nearly 50 films including And God Created Woman and Contempt, setting fashion trends with her tousled blonde hair and bold eyeliner, before becoming the model for Marianne, the personified symbol of France.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026
There are tousled children in thick wool sweaters and copper pots hanging from the ceiling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
With his signature bashful looks, tousled black curly hair and just an added dash of playful risk-taking, Cimino’s Zac sits right alongside the actor’s growing repertoire of swoon-worthy guys.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025
Mr. Brown’s tousled hair and gravelly voice have spoken to working-class voters since he was elected Ohio’s secretary of state in 1982.
From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2024
Papa tousled Frankie’s hair, then took the ball and placed it on the floor next to the table.
From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez
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.
