Standard Lemma guide

disarray

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪsəˈɹeɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH2 S ER0 EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D IH2 S AH0 R EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A lack of array or regular order; disorder; confusion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Confused attire; undress; dishabille.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To throw into disorder; to break the array of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To take off the dress of; to unrobe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

untidiness (especially of clothing and appearance)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disorderliness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: untidiness, messiness

6

noun

Meaning 6

a mental state characterized by a lack of clear and orderly thought and behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a confusion of impressions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: confusion, mental confusion, confusedness, muddiness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cognitive state, state of mind

Narrower terms: disorientation, distraction, daze, fog, haze, half-cock, jamais vu, bewilderment, obfuscation, puzzlement, befuddlement, mystification, bafflement, bemusement, perplexity

7

verb

Meaning 7

bring disorder to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disorder

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: mess, mess up, perturb, derange, throw out of kilter, disarrange, scramble, jumble, throw together

History

Etymology

From Middle English disareyen (“to disarray”), from Middle French desarroyer, from Old French desareer, from des- (“dis-”) + areer (“to array”).

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: бъркотия (bǎrkotija) — Want of array or regular order
  • Bulgarian: безпорядък (bezporjadǎk) — Want of array or regular order
  • Catalan: desordre — Want of array or regular order
  • Catalan: desori — Want of array or regular order
  • Catalan: desgavell — Want of array or regular order
  • Dutch: wanorde — Want of array or regular order
  • Esperanto: disaranĝo — Want of array or regular order
  • Finnish: sekasorto — Want of array or regular order
  • Finnish: kaaos — Want of array or regular order
  • Finnish: epäjärjestys — Want of array or regular order
  • French: désordre — Want of array or regular order
  • French: désarroi — Want of array or regular order
  • French: zizanie — Want of array or regular order
  • French: chaos — Want of array or regular order
  • German: Unordnung — Want of array or regular order
  • Macedonian: брко́тија (brkótija) — Want of array or regular order
  • Māori: kaumingomingo — Want of array or regular order
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ulage — Want of array or regular order
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uorden — Want of array or regular order
  • Plautdietsch: Onzucht — Want of array or regular order
  • Portuguese: cizânia — Want of array or regular order
  • Romanian: dezordine — Want of array or regular order
  • Romanian: neorânduială — Want of array or regular order
  • Spanish: desarreglo — Want of array or regular order
  • Spanish: desacomodo — Want of array or regular order
  • Swedish: oreda — Want of array or regular order
  • Swedish: oordning — Want of array or regular order
  • Turkish: teşevvüş — Want of array or regular order
  • Ottoman Turkish: قارش (karış) — Want of array or regular order
  • Ottoman Turkish: تشوش (teşevvüş) — Want of array or regular order
  • Ukrainian: безла́ддя (bezláddja) — Want of array or regular order
  • Finnish: epäjärjestys — Confused attire; undress
  • German: Verwirrung — Confused attire; undress
  • Bulgarian: разбърквам (razbǎrkvam) — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Catalan: desordenar — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Catalan: desgavellar — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 混乱 (hùnluàn) — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Dutch: verstoren — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Dutch: verwarren — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Finnish: sekoittaa — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Finnish: panna sekaisin — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Finnish: saattaa epäjärjestykseen — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • French: désordonner — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • French: troubler — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • French: perturber — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Hindi: व्यूहभंग (vyūhbhaṅg) — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Macedonian: ра́стера (rástera) — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Macedonian: ра́збрка (rázbrka) — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Romanian: dezorganiza — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Romanian: zăpăci — To throw into disorder; to break the array of
  • Bulgarian: събличам (sǎbličam) — To take off the dress of; to unrobe
  • Dutch: uitkleden — To take off the dress of; to unrobe
  • Macedonian: со́блече (sóbleče) — To take off the dress of; to unrobe
  • Romanian: dezbrăca — To take off the dress of; to unrobe