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
3
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
a messy divorce
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
The appointment process could get messy with nearly half of the council eyeing a prospective run.
—
Nick Sullivan
may 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Pfizer outbid Novo Nordisk for Metsera in a messy M&A fight last year that involved dueling lawsuits and anticompetitive claims.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Nationwide, large numbers of federal cases have fallen apart after prosecutors charged protesters, government critics, immigrants and others arrested at messy demonstrations during immigration operations with assaulting or interfering with officers.
—Brian Rokos, Daily News, 7 May 2026
If the results hold, the messy science of mixing five metals might just be the clean solution the world’s energy grid has been waiting for.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
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Nick Sullivan
may 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Pfizer outbid Novo Nordisk for Metsera in a messy M&A fight last year that involved dueling lawsuits and anticompetitive claims.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Nationwide, large numbers of federal cases have fallen apart after prosecutors charged protesters, government critics, immigrants and others arrested at messy demonstrations during immigration operations with assaulting or interfering with officers.
—Brian Rokos, Daily News, 7 May 2026
If the results hold, the messy science of mixing five metals might just be the clean solution the world’s energy grid has been waiting for.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
messy
adjective
messier; messiest
1
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
2
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
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