Understanding the Meaning of Disheveled

The question asks us to find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to "disheveled" within the given context. The context provided is: "After long working hours, the police officer looked tired and disheveled."

Analyzing the Context

The context describes the appearance of a police officer after long hours of work. Being "tired" suggests a worn-out state. The word "disheveled" likely describes how someone looks when they are tired and have been working for a long time without time to freshen up or maintain their appearance.

Defining Disheveled

The word "disheveled" is typically used to describe someone's appearance, particularly their hair, clothing, or overall look, when it is untidy, messy, or disorderly. It implies a lack of neatness or care in appearance, often due to fatigue, haste, or lack of attention to grooming.

Evaluating the Options

Let's look at the given options and see which one fits the meaning of "disheveled" in the context of being tired after long working hours:

• Happy: This describes an emotional state, not a physical appearance. Someone can be tired and disheveled but still happy, or vice versa. This option does not fit the context describing appearance.
• Well-groomed: This means neat, tidy, and carefully dressed or arranged. This is the opposite of how someone would typically look after long, tiring hours of work, and it is the opposite of the meaning of "disheveled".
• Untidy: This means not neat or orderly; messy. This aligns well with the common meaning of "disheveled" and fits the context of someone looking worn out and not well-kept after a long period of work.
• Enthusiastic: This describes a feeling of intense excitement or interest. Like "Happy," this relates to mood or energy level, not physical appearance. It does not describe how the police officer looked externally.

Finding the Closest Meaning

Based on the definition of "disheveled" and the context provided, the word that is closest in meaning is "Untidy". When someone is tired and disheveled, their appearance is likely messy and not neat.

Therefore, in the context of the police officer looking tired and disheveled after long working hours, "disheveled" means untidy.