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

Things get messy if the two sides can’t reach an agreement by training camp because then skipping voluntarily OTAs becomes a hold-in. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026

Not to be confused with the front-engined V-12 series of 250s (Ferrari nomenclature can get messy), the 1963 Ferrari 250 LM was a mid-engined Prancing Horse made to enable Maranello to homologate its new GT racing car in the early 1960s. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 28 May 2026

Cleaning the Floors Goes the Extra Mile The rest of the apartment hadn’t even been particularly messy or dirty. —Jenny Hughes, Parents, 28 May 2026

Unfortunately, most divorces are messy, especially when one party is vindictive. —Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 28 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