tousled 1 of 2

adjective

as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness a tousled pile of yarn and material scraps at the bottom of her craft box

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tousled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tousle
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tousled
Adjective
Unlike the classic bob, which favors a smooth and polished finish, the messy bob’s signature tousled style embraces texture. — Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 13 Aug. 2026 The wolf cut, in particular, embraces a slightly messy, tousled finish, which Underwood says works in fine hair's favor. — Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Aug. 2026 The singer and actress, 33, received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while looking like a true rockstar in a grungy gown with tousled hair complemented by sleek and smokey makeup that exclusively used Maybelline New York products. — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026 To style a shag haircut, use texturizing spray and run your fingers through your hair for a tousled look. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 July 2026 Even in detention, Chavez, with a head full of tousled black hair and big brown eyes, had an easy laugh and smile. — Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 6 July 2026 A little more tousled than a traditional pixie cut, the Winona Ryder pixie cut can be adjusted to suit your own personal style. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 June 2026 Tousled bob Kiera Knightley’s tousled bob is universally flattering on all face shapes. — Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 12 June 2026
Verb
Son’s hair got tousled and nobody wearing black and gold could stop smiling. — Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026 Like the French bob, the quintessential French pixie involves tousled loose waves and that effortless je-ne-sais-quoi attitude. — Audrey Noble, InStyle, 2 July 2026 Glam elements included Gerber’s hair tousled with a middle part and soft waves. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 June 2026 They were also joined in the auditorium by Boris Kudrin, who plays their teenage son Seryozha — at one point Mazurov tousled Kudrin’s hair. — Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026 His hair is frosted at the tips, carefully tousled; his eyes are alert, amused, ever-probing. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2026 Her signature copper red hair, styled by Halley Brisker, was worn softly tousled down her back. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026 Kardashian, 45, showed off a pair of ice-blue contact lenses and wore her chocolate brown hair tousled across her shoulders. — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026 Whether it was tousled by hand or pulled back in a tortoiseshell headband, Bessette’s length and color followed the same effortless code of her wardrobe, leaving us with enduring hair inspiration even after her untimely passing. — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousled
  1. messy
  2. disrupted
  3. chaotic
  4. confused
  5. littered
  6. disturbed
  7. sloppy
  8. shuffled
Adjective
  • Led by Sreeti Mukerji and shaped by the creative vision of Alia and Shaheen Bhatt, ‘Don’t Be Shy’ is a joyful, heartfelt celebration of friendship, love, and the beautifully messy journey of growing up.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The real story is what happens to the other 20% — the cases that are messy, emotional, or high-stakes — when the routine volume stops eating up everyone’s day.
    — Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of messy
Verb
  • Almost every country had reduced access to vaccines during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when supply chains and clinic access were severely disrupted.
    — Kathryn H. Jacobsen, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Some of those domestic brands have also disrupted the broader industry, reset innovation cycles and launched price wars.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • The last time Harry Brook batted in a Test for England his performance was so chaotic, frenetic and, frankly, irresponsible that New Zealand’s players laughed at him.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • In terms of reaching frontline workers with the promises of AI, things are rather chaotic.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Verb
  • This reserve should not be confused with a permanent investment strategy.
    — Steve Booren, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
  • River otters are not to be confused with sea otters, which live in the ocean, bays and harbors and can grow to be up to five feet and 100 pounds.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.
    — Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of littered
Verb
  • Peonies don’t like to be disturbed and may not bloom the next year, but division is sometimes necessary.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The study hypothesized that the sickle was added before the body fully decomposed since no joints were detached or displaced, as archaeologists would expect if a grave were to be disturbed after the body became a skeleton.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • On the previous drive, the Falcons’ starting offense went three-and-out — in sloppy, uninspiring fashion.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • First off, always practice perfect form with a lighter weight rather than compensate with sloppy form and a heavier weight.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Verb
  • The old football adage about teams making their biggest improvements between their first and second games might not apply in the NFL preseason, when personnel are constantly being shuffled in and out of the action.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Canden Arciniega shuffled on the hot granite terrace on a mid-August morning, counting the names on her list.
    — Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffled

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Cite this Entry

“Tousled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousled. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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