higgledy-piggledy
When something happens higgledy-piggledy, it's chaotic and disorganized. If you build your Lego tower higgledy-piggledy, it may end up too tall and narrow, making it that much easier for your brother to knock it over.
You can use this word, known as a "reduplicated phrase" for the rhyming repetition of its sounds, as an adjective and an adverb. So your dad may object to the higgledy-piggledy state of your room, and you might respond by throwing everything higgledy-piggledy into your closet. It's a great word that perfectly illustrates disorder or confusion. Unlike other reduplicated phrases such as hanky-panky or helter-skelter, higgledy-piggledy is a rare double dactyl, a repeated three-syllable word that stresses the first syllable.
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in a disordered manner“they were piled up higgledy-piggledy”synonyms: topsy-turvy
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in utter disordersynonyms: disorderly, hugger-mugger, jumbled, topsy-turvyuntidynot neat and tidy
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Vocabulary lists containing higgledy-piggledy
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