Disarray — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˌdis-ə-ˈrā/ dis·ar·ray

Meaning & Definition of Disarray

Disarray (noun)

  1. a lack of order or sequence, confusion, disorder
  2. disorderly dress, dishabille

Disarray (verb)

  1. to throw into disorder
  2. undress

Disarray (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state in which everything is out of order

    "the boys' bedroom was in its usual disarray"

    similar: chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter
    related: anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, riot, knot, snarl, tangle, labyrinth, maze, web, maelstrom, storm, bollix, clutter, litter, mishmash, shuffle, hodgepodge, medley, miscellany, morass, motley
    opposite: order, orderliness
    near: method, pattern, plan, system

Disarray (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to undo the proper order or arrangement of

    "he had accidentally disarrayed his brother's CDs, leaving a telltale sign of borrowing without permission"

    similar: confuse, derange, disarrange, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, hash, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, muss, rumple, scramble, shuffle, tousle, tumble, upset
    related: embroil, entangle, snarl, tangle, agitate, perturb, stir (up), unsettle, clutter
    opposite: arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal, order, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up), tidy
    near: align, line, line up, queue, classify, codify, methodize, systematize, systemize, adjust, fix, groom, make up, spruce (up), unscramble

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Disarray

The most common words with a similar meaning to Disarray:

chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter, confuse, derange, disarrange, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, hash, mess (up), mix (up), rumple, scramble, shuffle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Disarray

Words with the opposite meaning of Disarray:

order, orderliness, arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up), tidy

Related Words for Disarray

anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, riot, knot, snarl, tangle, labyrinth, maze, web, maelstrom, storm, bollix, clutter, litter, mishmash, hodgepodge, medley, miscellany, morass, motley, embroil, entangle, agitate, perturb, stir (up), unsettle

Near Antonyms of Disarray

method, pattern, plan, system, align, line, line up, queue, classify, codify, methodize, systematize, systemize, adjust, fix, groom, make up, spruce (up), unscramble

Word Forms of Disarray

Inflections: disarrayed, disarraying, disarrays

Origin & Etymology of Disarray

Middle English disaraye, disaray "disorder, broken military formation," borrowed from Anglo-French dissairay, noun derivative of desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder" disarray:2

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Disarray

Frequently Asked Questions about Disarray

What does "Disarray" mean?

"Disarray" means a lack of order or sequence, confusion, disorder. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a lack of order or sequence, confusion, disorder. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Disarray"?

Other words for "Disarray" include chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness and disorderliness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Disarray" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Disarray"?

There are 69 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Disarray". Common alternatives include chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization and free-for-all.

What is the opposite of "Disarray"?

Antonyms of "Disarray" include order, orderliness, arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal and organize. Near antonyms include method, pattern, plan and system.

How do you use "Disarray" in a sentence?

Examples of "Disarray" in a sentence: "the boys' bedroom was in its usual disarray"; "he had accidentally disarrayed his brother's CDs, leaving a telltale sign of borrowing without permission".

Is "Disarray" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Disarray" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Disarray" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Disarray" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Disarray"?

"Disarray" is pronounced /ˌdis-ə-ˈrā/ and divided into syllables as dis·ar·ray.