ruffling
Mussing up gently
Ruffling is disturbing the smoothness of something—feathers, hair, water, fabric.
A bird ruffles its feathers when agitated or cold.
Wind ruffles the surface of a pond.
To ruffle someone is to annoy or unsettle them: His casual dismissal ruffled her.
Ruffling through papers or pages means flipping quickly: She was ruffling through the documents looking for the contract.
Disturb or provoke
- rippleMinor surface disturbance
- stirMix by circling
- disturbInterrupt or trouble
- wrinkleSurface fold or crease
crinkle · crumple · rumple · tousle · muss · disarrange · dishevel · disorder
Bird's complete feather coat
- preenGroom with self-satisfaction
- quillFeather used for writing
- downToward lower ground
- barbBackward-pointing spike
shaft · vane · pinion · covert · crest · wing · bird · molting
Bring or come together
- pleatSewn fabric fold
- frillSuperfluous adornment
- shirringGathered fabric technique
- flounceOrnamental gathered fabric strip
trim · edging · sewing · stitching · hemming · smocking · lace · ribbon
agitate
Disturb or provoke
wrinkle · crinkle · crumple · rumple · tousle · muss · disarrange · dishevel · disorder · waves
plumage
Bird's complete feather coat
barb · shaft · vane · pinion · covert · crest · wing · bird · molting · avian
gather
Bring or come together
flounce · trim · edging · sewing · stitching · hemming · smocking · lace · ribbon · decorative
annoy
Cause mild irritation
provoke · nettle · pique · rankle · gall · chafe · displease · bother · perturb · unsettle
rustling
Soft crackling noise
crinkling · whispering · swirling · brushing · whisking · susurrus · papery · silky · leafy · soft
- decoratingdecorating, adorning, embellishing, ornamenting, beautifying
- muddlingmuddling, jumbling, scrambling, mixing up, disarranging
- cell motilityactin, microtubule, cytoskeleton, flagella, cilia
- fabric drapingdraping, cascade, gathering, pleating, ruching
- wind actionblowing, gusting, howling, whistling, whipping
rufflingsmoothing
Reducing irregularities systematically
flattening · pressing · ironing · straightening · smoothening
rufflingcalming
Inducing a settled state
soothing · tranquilizing · pacifying · placating · tranquillising
rufflingsmoothing
Reducing irregularities systematically
preening · sleeking · grooming · sleekening · flattening
- ruffling some feathersCausing minor irritation
- ruffling feathers
- feather rufflingCausing mild offense
ruffle, ruffled, unruffled, ruffles, ruffly, ruffler, ruffle up