messy

messy

adjective \ˈme-sē\

mess·i·ermess·i·est

Definition of MESSY

1

: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy <a messy room>

2

: lacking neatness or precision : careless, slovenly

3

: extremely unpleasant or trying <messy lawsuits>

— mess·i·ly \ˈme-sə-lē\ adverb

— mess·i·ness \ˈme-sē-nəs\ noun

Examples of MESSY

1. Painting a room can be messy work.
2. Some kinds of glue are messier than others.
3. a delicious but messy sandwich

First Known Use of MESSY

1843

Related to MESSY

Synonyms

chaotic, cluttered, confused, disarranged, disarrayed, disheveled (or dishevelled), disordered, disorderly, higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled, littered, messed, muddled, mussed, mussy, pell-mell, rumpled, sloppy, topsy-turvy, tousled, tumbled, unkempt, untidy, upside-down, at sixes and sevens, out of joint

Antonyms

bandbox, crisp, kempt, neat, neatened, ordered, orderly, organized, shipshape, snug, tidied, tidy, trim, uncluttered, well-ordered

Related Words

bedraggled, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, blackened, cruddy, dingy, dirty, draggled, filthy, foul, grimy, grotty [chiefly British], grubby, grungy, mucky, nasty, smudged, soiled, spotted, squalid, stained, sullied, unclean, uncleanly; dowdy, frowsy (or frowzy), shaggy, slatternly, sloven, slovenly, uncombed; wrinkled; adulterated, contaminated, defiled, polluted, tainted; knotted, snarled, tangled; seedy, shabby, sleazy, sordid; neglected, neglectful, negligent

Near Antonyms

antiseptic, clean, cleaned, cleanly, hygienic, immaculate, sparkling, spick-and-span (or spic-and-span), spotless, stainless, unsoiled, unsullied; methodical (also methodic), regular, systematic, systematized; careful, fastidious, finicky, fussy, meticulous; combed, groomed, manicured, well-groomed; taintless, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, wholesome

Rhymes with MESSY

dressy, Jesse