disarray
English
Etymology
From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#DISARRAYCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#DISARRAY disareyen (“to disarray”), from Middle FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Middle French#DISARRAY desarroyer, from Old FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Old French#DISARRAY desareer, from des- (“dis-”) + areer (“to array”).
Pronunciation
Verb
disarray (third-person singular simple present disarrays, present participle disarraying, simple past and past participle disarrayed)Category:English lemmas#DISARRAYCategory:English verbs#DISARRAYCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#DISARRAYCategory:Pages with entries#DISARRAYCategory:Pages with 1 entry#DISARRAY
- (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#DISARRAY) To throw into disorder; to break the array of.
- 1726, Elijah Fenton, Odyssey:
- Who with fiery steeds / Oft disarray'd the foes in battle ranged.Category:English terms with quotations#DISARRAY
- (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#DISARRAY) To take off the dress of; to unrobe.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 46:
- So as she bad, that witch they disaraidCategory:English terms with quotations#DISARRAY
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
disarray (uncountable)Category:English lemmas#DISARRAYCategory:English nouns#DISARRAYCategory:English uncountable nouns#DISARRAYCategory:English uncountable nouns#DISARRAYCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#DISARRAYCategory:Pages with entries#DISARRAYCategory:Pages with 1 entry#DISARRAY
- A lack of array or regular order; disorder; confusion.
- 2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:
- Tottenham pushed forward in an attempt to complete the recovery - but only succeeded in leaving themselves wide open to Chelsea's attacks and Redknapp's side ended in total disarray.Category:English terms with quotations#DISARRAY
- 2024 October 30, Paul Bigland, “The heat is on... and will the railway fray?”, in RAIL, number 1021, page 46:
- On leaving the train at Piccadilly, everything goes 'Pete Tong'. Services are in complete disarray, as a tree has come down onto the line at Gatley.Category:English terms with quotations#DISARRAY
- Confused attire; undress; dishabille.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:disorder