tousle - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

tousle

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈtaʊzəl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronuncation: IPA/ˈtaʊzəl, -səl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(tou′zəl)

Inflections of 'tousle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
tousles
v 3rd person singular
tousling
v pres pverb, present participle: -ing verb used descriptively or to form progressive verb--for example, "a singing bird," "It is singing."
tousled
v pastverb, past simple: Past tense--for example, "He saw the man." "She laughed."
tousled
v past pverb, past participle: Verb form used descriptively or to form verbs--for example, "the locked door," "The door has been locked."

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2021
tou•sle /ˈtaʊzəl, -səl/USA pronunciation   v. [~ + object], -sled, -sling. 
  1. to make a little untidy:The wind tousled our hair.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2021
tou•sle  (tou′zəl),USA pronunciation v.,  -sled, -sling, n. 
v.t. 
  1. to disorder or dishevel:The wind tousled our hair.
  2. to handle roughly.

n. 
  1. a disheveled or rumpled mass, esp. of hair.
  2. a disordered, disheveled, or tangled condition.
Also, touzle.
  • 1400–50; late Middle English touselen (verb, verbal); cognate with Low German tūseln. See touse, -le

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
tousle /ˈtaʊzəl/ vb (transitive)
  1. to tangle, ruffle, or disarrange
  2. to treat roughly
 n
  1. a disorderly, tangled, or rumpled state
  2. a dishevelled or disordered mass, esp of hair
Etymology: 15th Century: from Low German tūsen to shake; related to Old High German zirzūsōn to tear to pieces
'tousle' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
rumple - touse - tousled - touzle - tussle
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