1 B2 neutral
to make hair, feathers, fur, or cloth look untidy by moving it roughly
"The wind ruffled up her hair as she stepped outside."
separable
ruffle up
B2 neutral separable transitive
to make hair, feathers, or cloth stand up or look untidy
In plain English
to make something look messy and not smooth
What does "ruffle up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
to stir up or slightly disturb someone or something
"The sudden question ruffled up the calm mood in the room."
separable
Usage tip
Usually physical rather than strongly idiomatic. Can also suggest slight emotional disturbance in extended use, but that is much less common than with plain 'ruffle'.
Words that pair with "ruffle up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
hair feathers fur blanket pillow shirt
How to conjugate "ruffle up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ruffle up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ruffles up
he/she/it
Past simple
ruffled up
yesterday
Past participle
ruffled up
have + pp
-ing form
ruffling up
continuous
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