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

Each baby wore a collar with a chain and had a messy bed of straw. — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026

The way the film gets to that epic crossover moment is a little messy — Peter’s intentions of trying to rehabilitate invading villains like Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) are noble but sadly naïve in a frustrating way. — Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Aug. 2026

Avoid planting deciduous trees and messy shrubs that will drop leaf litter, berries, and twigs into the AC unit. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026

Cleaning our planet’s filthy ports could one day get a boost from a creature with a very messy nickname. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 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