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.
With her distinctive husky voice, tousled mane of blonde hair and black eyeliner, Tyler was instantly recognisable as the queen of the 1980s power ballad.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Troye Sivan channeled photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in tousled hair and designer jeans.
From Salon ● May 6, 2026
Expect to see a lot of pencil skirts, artfully tucked-in white button downs and tousled blond hair this summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
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
Some of them tousled my hair and shook my hand too.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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