tousles
Dishevels with affection
Tousles is the third-person singular of tousle, meaning to mess up or dishevel, especially hair: She tousles his hair affectionately.
The action suggests playful roughness rather than damage—a gesture of fondness or teasing.
Wind tousles hair; so do hands reaching to ruffle it.
To disorder casually
- rumpleTo disorder by crushing
- dishevelMake untidy, disordered
- rufflePleated fabric edging
- scruffBack neck area
mess up · shake out · fluff · disturb · disarrange · scrunch · tease · disorder
Lacking order or neatness
- unkemptUntidy in appearance
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- rumpledCrinkled from neglect
- bedheadMussed morning coiffure
unruly · frowzy · mussed · shaggy · uncombed · matted · knotted · snarled
Pleated fabric edging
nuzzle · stroke · endearment · tender · loving · doting · gentle · fond
Displaced by gusts
- gustyMarked by sudden drafts
- blusteryWildly, coldly windy
- sweptCleaned with bristles
- whippedStruck repeatedly, or defeated
billowing · fluttering · streaming · wild · untamed · natural · air-dried
muss
To disorder casually
scruff · mess up · shake out · fluff · disturb · disarrange · scrunch · tease · disorder · agitate
messy
Lacking order or neatness
bedhead · unruly · frowzy · mussed · shaggy · uncombed · matted · knotted · snarled · scraggly
ruffle
Pleated fabric edging
caress · nuzzle · stroke · endearment · tender · loving · doting · gentle · fond · warm
windblown
Displaced by gusts
whipped · billowing · fluttering · streaming · wild · untamed · natural · air-dried
effortless
Requiring no strain
nonchalant · laid-back · carefree · lived-in · easy · breezy · natural · unpolished · imperfect · informal