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

But the national office adopted the rule in June, slightly messy for college football but an abject disaster for hoops. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026

America’s obsession with the Latino vote has become a ritual as slippery and messy as a grunion run. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Quality, innovation, customer value and decision-making are messier, and leaders should be cautious about claiming AI caused an improvement when many factors may have contributed. — Subha Barry, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Unlike the real thing, electric fireplaces emit no smoke and leave no messy ashes after use. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 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