dishevelled

dishevelled

/dɪˈʃevld/

(especially British English) (North American English usually disheveled) ​(of hair, clothes or somebody’s general appearance) very untidy

He looked tired and dishevelled.

She returned at 1 a.m. in a dishevelled state.

Collocations

noun

Word Origin

late Middle English: from obsolete dishevely, from Old French deschevele, past participle of descheveler (based on chevel ‘hair’, from Latin capillus). The original sense was ‘having the hair uncovered’; later, referring to the hair itself, ‘hanging loose’, hence ‘disordered, untidy’. Compare with unkempt.