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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
17 June 2026
This tousled look is very flattering for thick hair.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Her hair was worn up in a tousled bun at the nape of her neck with dense bangs.
—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
The singer-songwriter wore her hair in a loose, tousled braid that fell gracefully down her back, while soft wisps framed the front of her face.
—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Her hair stylist Harry Josh also used the brand’s hair perfume to finish off her tousled bob.
—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
Emin’s masterpiece thumbed its nose at a tradition of recumbent feminine flesh on tousled white sheets (think Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Manet’s Olympia, or any number of bosomy Lucian Freud nudes).
—
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
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
Kristen Wiig looked effortlessly cool, thanks to Abergel, who tousled her hair using Virtue Labs products.
—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
16 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
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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
This tousled look is very flattering for thick hair.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Her hair was worn up in a tousled bun at the nape of her neck with dense bangs.
—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
The singer-songwriter wore her hair in a loose, tousled braid that fell gracefully down her back, while soft wisps framed the front of her face.
—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Her hair stylist Harry Josh also used the brand’s hair perfume to finish off her tousled bob.
—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
Emin’s masterpiece thumbed its nose at a tradition of recumbent feminine flesh on tousled white sheets (think Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Manet’s Olympia, or any number of bosomy Lucian Freud nudes).
—
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Kristen Wiig looked effortlessly cool, thanks to Abergel, who tousled her hair using Virtue Labs products.
—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
16 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
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousled
Adjective
-
Interviews for the statewide candidates are done now via questions from the entire convention, a potentially messier proposition.
-
More vehicles on the road means more potential for complex, multi-vehicle collisions and messier disputes over who caused what.
Verb
-
The dangerous temperatures have already disrupted several events scheduled for Friday.
-
The overlap of two warming patterns — one regional and one climate-scale — could compound stress on marine food webs that have already been repeatedly disrupted over the past decade.
Adjective
-
By building circuits whose states naturally fluctuate with this environmental heat, thermodynamic computing turns an otherwise stochastic and chaotic feature of nature into an incredibly fast, ultra-low-energy calculator.
-
The combat that follows is intimate, chaotic, and bloody.
Verb
-
Narcissism should never be confused with the healthy form of philautia, a unique Greek philosophy of self-love.
-
One workshop is a Mindful Archery class, not to be confused with her other course Meditative Archery, which involves Jungian journaling; and there’s a one-on-one archery session with spiritual guidance.
Adjective
-
In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
-
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.
Verb
-
As was to be expected of these people, nothing had been disturbed.
-
Be sure to use the powder sparingly and in areas where it won't be disturbed or pose dust-inhalation risks, adds Ellis.
Adjective
-
England looked disjointed and sloppy for much of the first half, while Congo was bright and creative with the ball and held England at bay defensively.
-
The regulars were middle-aged men who routinely drank five or six cocktails after work and were only rarely sloppy.
Verb
-
Sarah was sent to a mental hospital, and the boys were shuffled among family members, ending up with their penniless grandmother in Kentucky.
-
As soon as the game wrapped up, those guests shuffled out, and hours later were replaced by a rowdier group ordering shots at the bar, dancing to 2000s hits in front of the DJ booth and smoking vape pens on the outdoor patio.
Cite this Entry
“Tousled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousled. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
