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
Trump's on the other hand, resemble a baker's buffet, endless, messy, burger-ridden, and everyone leaves feeling a little worse for wear.
—
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
The latest Futurecast shows the sharp rain and snow line early Tuesday, with steady snow inland and a messy mix near the coast.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
Love’s messy reciprocity—fluctuating moods, compromise, vulnerability—gets streamlined out of the interface.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
Rivalry week always delivers a chaotic masterpiece, and where there's not enough slices of pie for so many contenders, it's bound to become a messy fight to get a serving.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
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Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
The latest Futurecast shows the sharp rain and snow line early Tuesday, with steady snow inland and a messy mix near the coast.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
Love’s messy reciprocity—fluctuating moods, compromise, vulnerability—gets streamlined out of the interface.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
Rivalry week always delivers a chaotic masterpiece, and where there's not enough slices of pie for so many contenders, it's bound to become a messy fight to get a serving.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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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