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

Once these target areas are addressed, don’t forget to give the rest of the machine some love by running it on a wash cycle with your favorite dishwasher cleaning solution to eliminate any remaining buildup that could lead to a messy, smelly machine. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025

The college experience was marked by rupture, the sometimes messy yet necessary transition from dependence to independence. —Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025

There are all sorts of messy tiebreakers afoot among these American contenders. —Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

Secluded in the rural Indiana camp, reigniting a messy relationship with a longtime friend and wary of the cryptic stares of her peers, our narrator discovers the demons have followed her all the way from New York City. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

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