tousle

1 of 2

verb

tou·​sle ˈtau̇-zəl 

-səl

tousled; tousling

ˈtau̇z-liŋ,

ˈtau̇s-;

ˈtau̇-zə- 

-sə-

transitive verb

: dishevel, rumple

tousled hair

tousle

2 of 2

noun

tou·​sle ˈtau̇-zəl 

 sense 1 is also  ˈtü-

1

Scotland : rough dalliance : tussle

2

: a tangled mass (as of hair)

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Tousle and Functional Shift

Tousle is a word that has been through what linguists call a "functional shift." That's a fancy way of saying it was originally one part of speech, then gradually came to have an additional function. Tousle started out as a verb back in the 15th century and, after a few centuries of grooming, debuted as a noun referring to a tangled mass (also often used to talk about messy hair), as in “he had a thick tousle of hair.” Etymologists connect tousle to an Old High German word meaning "to pull to pieces."

Synonyms

Verb

• confuse
• derange
• disarrange
• disarray
• discompose
• dishevel
• disjoint
• dislocate
• disorder
• disorganize
• disrupt
• disturb
• hash
• jumble
• mess (up)
• mix (up)
• muddle
• muss
• rumple
• scramble
• shuffle
• tumble
• upset

Examples of tousle in a Sentence

Verb

She tousled the little boy's hair.

his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Her hair, styled by her go-to hairstylist, Tym Wallace, was brushed over to one side and tousled at the crown for a little volume, with the length hitting right below her cheekbone at a sharp angle. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Sep. 2024

Appleton was in charge of recreating Barrymore’s golden tresses by skillfully applying a wig that was tousled just the right amount. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024

Noun

There have been other close calls too: tousles with photographers, grudges against ex-colleagues and various rumours of disharmony at home. —Remy Blumenfeld, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2024

Nine men arrested after protest against closing tunnel Nine men were taken into custody by NYPD officers on Monday after a tousle between police and a group of young Hasidic students protesting orders to close the tunnel. —USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English touselen, frequentative of -tousen

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

tousle

verb

tou·​sle

ˈtau̇-zəl,

-səl

tousled; tousling

ˈtau̇z-(ə-)liŋ,

ˈtau̇s-

: to put into disorder by rough handling