ruffled

adjective

ruf·​fled ˈrə-fəld 

1

: affected by a loss of calmness or composure

… he is reserved and gracious, though gets a bit ruffled when asked about things he considers too personal …

—Rhonda Shafner

"He never got upset, never got ruffled," Colonel William Peoples, one of his former commanders, recalls.

—Barry Werth

2

a

: adorned or trimmed with ruffles

They begin with a fiesta of old-time flamenco style in old-time heavy, ruffled costumes.

—Elizabeth Zimmer

But she had lost some of Todd's starchy look, and the tank top and shorts she was wearing suited her better than the ruffled things she'd favored as a child.

—Deborah Eisenberg

b(1)

of a plant : having flowers or leaves with wavy edges

ruffled gladiolas

(2)

of a flower, petal, or leaf : having wavy edges

ruffled rose petals

ruffled kale leaves

Moss rose (Portulaca grandifolia) loves the sun and is a tough beauty with satiny, ruffled flowers and a drought-resistant nature.

—Irene Virag

c

of a bird : having the feathers erected in or like a ruff see ruff entry 2 sense 2

a ruffled owl

Examples of ruffled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Take a look at The Row's technical mesh sneakers, or the ruffled crochet trim adorning these Alohas sneakers. —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025

The superstar also wore a voluminous, ruffled skirt with a short train paired with Wolford knee-highs. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025

President Macron took a stab at smoothing ruffled feathers Sunday to get Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelenskyy talking again. —Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2025

The pastel pink mermaid style dress features a ruffled bodice and silver embellishments, with layers of ruffles and fabric that fit close to her body in a bombshell hourglass shape. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing ruffled

• ruffled the feathers of

Rhymes for ruffled

• muffled
• shuffled
• unruffled