mess

1 of 2

noun

ˈmes 

1

: a quantity of food:

a

archaic : food set on a table at one time

b

: a prepared dish of soft food

also : a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together

c

: enough food of a specified kind for a dish or a meal

picked a mess of peas for dinner

2

a

: a group of persons who regularly take their meals together

every officer with a unit … is obliged to belong to a mess

—S. G. Maurice

also : a meal so taken

b

: a place where meals are regularly served to a group : mess hall

The soldiers marched to the mess for breakfast.

3

a

: a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition

your room is in a mess

b

: one that is disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant usually because of blundering, laxity, or misconduct

[the movie] is a mess, as sloppy in concept as it is in execution

—Judith Crist

4

: a large quantity or number

They're in a mess of trouble.

mess

2 of 2

verb

messed; messing; messes

transitive verb

1

: to provide with meals at a mess

2

a

: to make dirty or untidy : disarrange

—often used with up

don't mess up your room

b

: to mix up : bungle

—often used with up

really messed up my life

3

: to interfere with

—often used with up

magnetic storms that mess up communications

—Time

4

: to rough up : manhandle

—often used with up

mess him up good so he won't cheat us again

intransitive verb

1

: to take meals with a mess

2

: to make a mess

3

a

: putter, trifle

children like to mess around with paints

b

: to handle or play with something especially carelessly

don't mess with my camera

—often used with around

c

: to take an active interest in something or someone

messing around with new video techniques

also : interfere, meddle

messing in other people's affairs

you'd better not mess with me

4

: to become confused or make an error

—usually used with up

Synonyms

Noun

• chance-medley
• chaos
• confusion
• disarrangement
• disarray
• dishevelment
• disorder
• disorderedness
• disorderliness
• disorganization
• free-for-all
• havoc
• heck
• hell
• jumble
• mare's nest
• messiness
• misorder
• muddle
• muss
• shambles
• snake pit
• tumble
• welter

Verb

• butt in
• interfere
• interlope
• intermeddle
• intrude
• meddle
• muck (about or around)
• nose
• obtrude
• poke
• pry
• snoop

Examples of mess in a Sentence

Noun

He was a mess after gardening all day.

My hair is a mess.

Well, that's another fine mess you've gotten me into!

How do we get ourselves into these messes?

The school system is a mess.

Things were a real mess for a while after she retired.

My life is a complete mess.

She was a real mess for a while after her divorce.

He was a mess during his daughter's wedding ceremony.

Verb

please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Watching people getting clobbered with mops, or Stitch making messes and starting fires at the open-air beach resort where Nani works — the funny’s diminished in live-action. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025

This daily upkeep keeps messes manageable and prevents them from accumulating to an overwhelming level. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025

Verb

But, if those guys [the oligarchs] do start messing everything up, then there is really something for normal people to worry about. —Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 4 May 2025

So, avoid messing things up with these simple tips for cooking delicious, juicy cheeseburgers on a propane grill. —Joe Difazio, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English mes, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin missus course at a meal, from missus, past participle of mittere to put, from Latin, to send — more at smite

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing mess

• a mess of pottage
• hot mess
• make a mess of
• mess about
• mess about with (something)
• mess around
• mess around with (something)
• mess hall
• mess jacket
• mess kit
• mess over
• mess (something or someone) up
• mess up
• mess with
• mess with someone's mind/head

Rhymes for mess

• bless
• chess
• cress
• dress
• es
• ess
• esse
• fess
• guess
• jess
• less
• lesse

Video

Hot Mess

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

Kids Definition

mess

1 of 2 noun

ˈmes 

1

a

: a quantity of food

b

: a dish of soft food

a mess of porridge

2

a

: a group of people who regularly eat together

also : the meal they eat

b

: a place where meals are regularly served to a group : mess hall

3

: a state or condition of confusion, disorder, or unpleasantness

left things in a mess

also : one that is in such a state or condition

his life was a mess

4

: a large quantity or number

a mess of problems

mess

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to supply with meals

b

: to take meals with a mess

2

a

: to make dirty or untidy : disarrange

don't mess up your room

b

: to do incorrectly

messed up the job

c

: to become confused or make an error

tried again and messed up again

3

: to interfere with

the storm messed up our plans

4

a

: to work without a serious goal : putter

likes to mess around with paints

b

: to handle or play with something especially carelessly

don't mess with the camera

c

: interfere sense 2, meddle

don't mess with me

5

: to rough up : manhandle