What does tousle mean?
Tousle means to ruffle, disarrange, or make something untidy, most often in reference to hair. It can also describe handling or moving something roughly or casually, sometimes with the sense of playful affection. A tousled appearance is deliberately informal and imperfect rather than neatly arranged, which helps explain why the word often appears in descriptions of windblown hair, rumpled bedding, or relaxed, carefree fashion. As a noun, a tousle denotes an act of ruffling or a dishevelled condition, although this use is much less common than the verb. Tousle is related to, but distinct from, tussle, which means to struggle or grapple. The word is found in standard British and American English and is especially common in literary description and informal speech. Its vivid specificity makes it useful where a general term such as mess would be less expressive: to tousle is not merely to disturb something, but to give it a deliberately, visibly untidy arrangement.
To ruffle or disarrange something, especially hair or fabric; more broadly, to handle or move it roughly or casually.
"She reached up and tousled her hair before leaving."
Especially associated with hair, but also used of fabric and with the meaning of rough or playful handling.
An act of tousling, or the state of being dishevelled or tangled.
"He gave his untidy hair a quick tousle."
A comparatively rare noun use; the plural is tousles.
A rare plural in a generally uncommon noun use.
"Each playful tousle of her hair drew another giggle."
Tousle came straight from French tousser, so its name has traveled—and been untidy—all the way across the Channel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How tousle is actually used
Literary and mildly informal; it often conveys affectionate playfulness or deliberate roughness and can imply a lack of neatness.
Easily confused with tousle
Tousle means to ruffle or disarrange something, while tussle means to struggle or grapple with someone or something.