disorderly

disorderly — adjective

1. (of a room, desk, pile of objects, or similar space) not neat; with things lying

1.形容詞B1
釋義

(of a room, desk, pile of objects, or similar space) not neat; with things lying around in a disorganized way instead of being stored or arranged properly.

例句

Ryo's desk was so disorderly that he could not find his train ticket anywhere.

collocation: disorderly desk / disorderly room

After the children finished their art project, the living room looked completely disorderly.

同義詞
  • messy

    more informal and common in everyday speech

  • untidy

    similar register, slightly weaker in degree

  • cluttered

    specifically about too many objects filling a space

  • chaotic

    stronger; suggests complete confusion rather than just lack of neatness

反義詞
  • neat

    carefully arranged and clean

  • tidy

    everything in its proper place

  • orderly

    arranged according to a system or plan

用法筆記

More formal than 'messy' or 'untidy.' Can describe both physical spaces and abstract arrangements.

常見錯誤

❌Her eating habits are disorderly.
✅Her eating habits are disordered.
💡'disorderly' refers to mess or rowdiness; 'disordered' is used for medical or psychological conditions.

2. (of a person or group) acting in a noisy, angry, or threatening manner somewhere

2.形容詞B2
釋義

(of a person or group) acting in a noisy, angry, or threatening manner somewhere public — often after drinking — and refusing to follow normal standards of acceptable conduct.

例句

The pub manager called the police when a group of disorderly fans started shouting and pushing each other.

collocation: disorderly fans / disorderly crowd

Rodrigo was arrested for being drunk and disorderly outside the concert hall.

fixed legal phrase: drunk and disorderly

同義詞
  • rowdy

    similar meaning, slightly less formal and less legal

  • unruly

    difficult to control; can apply to crowds or children

  • violent

    stronger; implies physical harm rather than just noise

  • lawless

    suggests a deliberate rejection of rules, not just noisy behavior

反義詞

用法筆記

Commonly appears in legal contexts. The fixed phrase 'drunk and disorderly' is a specific offense in many legal systems. 'Disorderly conduct' is a broad legal term for disruptive public behavior.

常見錯誤

❌The children were disorderly at the birthday party.
✅The children were rowdy at the birthday party.
💡'disorderly' is too strong and legal-sounding for ordinary misbehavior; use 'rowdy' or 'unruly' for mild situations.

disorderly — adverb