messy

adjective

ˈme-sē 

messier; messiest

1

: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy

a messy room

2

: lacking neatness or precision : careless, slovenly

messy thinking

3

: extremely unpleasant or trying

messy lawsuits

a messy divorce

messily

ˈme-sə-lē 

adverb

messiness

ˈme-sē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• chaotic
• cluttered
• confused
• disarranged
• disarrayed
• disheveled
• 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

Examples of messy in a Sentence

Painting a room can be messy work.

Some kinds of glue are messier than others.

a delicious but messy sandwich

Recent Examples on the Web

Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. —Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 11 June 2024

With that comes messy roadways and some special city ordinances. —Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024

Two fans raced against each other on the big screens to see who could devour most of the hotdog with fans loving the messy minute-long race. —Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 11 June 2024

Written by Stefani Robinson and boasting Brian Tyree Henry's best performance on the show, this mournful installment begins with Alfred having a waking dream about his mother, who is shown bustling about his messy home in the background, on the anniversary of her death. —EW.com, 10 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

messy

adjective

ˈmes-ē 

messier; messiest

1

: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy

2

: extremely unpleasant or trying

messy lawsuits

messily

ˈmes-ə-lē 

adverb

messiness

ˈmes-ē-nəs 

noun