messy

adjective

ˈme-sē 

messier; messiest

1

a

: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy

a messy room

b

: likely to create a mess

a messy task/hobby

messy paint

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 of messy

• chaotic
• sloppy
• cluttered
• confused
• littered
• jumbled
• filthy

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

Off Campus uses the messy lives of these athletes to explore romance tropes like fake-dating plots, enemies-to-lovers twists, secret relationships, and more. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026

Later in the vid, Charli dons a high, messy ponytail and a chic bun, all paired with some seriously glam runway eye shadow via YSL Beauty. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 22 May 2026

Leadership over the years have put off the messy task of winding the radio business down due to its iconic status at the company. —Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026

Our recommendation is the Bisou Balm Duo to nail the French girl’s signature bold, blurred, slightly messy lip. —Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for messy

• bessy
• cressy
• dressy
• jesse

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