messy

1 of 2

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

messiness

2 of 2

noun

mess·​i·​ness ˈmesēnə̇s 

-sin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being messy

there is a certain messiness in the analysis in that he is forced from the start to assume multiple values

—A. A. Hill

Synonyms of messy

Adjective

• chaotic
• sloppy
• cluttered
• confused
• littered
• jumbled
• filthy

Examples of messy in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Football is a messy game with far too many variables for one statistic to ever fully grasp. — Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

The districts' policies are part of a messy patchwork of new laws and guidelines that have spread across the United States, leaving inconsistent rules state-by-state, or even district-by-district. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

The bloodshed returns after another 11-year hiatus, but the spatter is messier, thicker, and darker, seeping into a new vision by Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026

So her personal information, spread over multiple government databases, is messy, incomplete, often contradictory and may even have been inadvertently combined with others who share her name. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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