Definition

Adjective: 1. Having decorative ruffles or frills: Describes something that is trimmed or adorned with strips of fabric, lace, or other material that are gathered or pleated to create a wavy, frilly edge. 2. Shaken into waves or undulations; disturbed: Describes a surface, especially of water, that has been agitated into small waves, or something that is no longer smooth and orderly.

Examples

• Adjective (Decorative):
  • She wore a beautiful ruffled blouse to the party.
  • The curtains had a ruffled edge that gave the room a soft look.
• Adjective (Disturbed):
  • The ruffled surface of the pond reflected the clouds in broken patterns.
  • His normally calm demeanor was visibly ruffled by the unexpected news.

Advanced Usage

• "To be/get ruffled" (figurative): To become annoyed, flustered, or upset, causing one's composure to be disturbed.
  • Despite the intense questioning, the politician refused to get ruffled.
• Literary/Descriptive Use: Often used to describe natural scenes where wind disturbs a previously calm surface.
  • A breeze came in off the lake, turning its mirror-like surface into a ruffled sheet of grey.

Variants and Related Words

• Ruffle (verb): To disorder or disturb the smoothness of something; to irritate or annoy someone.
  • The wind ruffled the pages of her book.
  • His arrogant comment ruffled a few feathers.
• Unruffled (adjective): Calm and not disturbed or agitated.
  • She remained unruffled throughout the crisis.

Synonyms

• Frilled, frilly, flounced: (For the decorative meaning).
• Rippled, agitated, disturbed, choppy: (For the surface meaning).
• Flustered, discomposed, perturbed: (For the figurative meaning regarding composure).

Related Phrases

• Ruffle someone's feathers: To annoy, irritate, or upset someone.
  • His blunt criticism really ruffled her feathers.

Adjective

1. having decorative ruffles or frills
2. shaken into waves or undulations as by wind
   • the rippled surface of the pond
   • with ruffled flags flying