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

The actors split in 2016, following 12 years together in total, although their messy divorce was only finalized in December 2024. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026

The company lacks a clear workflow, the handoff is messy, or nobody knows who owns the next step. — Nikola Kiridzic, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Cruise’s Digger is the man most responsible for making a mess of the globe — and no other actor but him could have gotten a movie this messy green-lighted for a $125-million budget. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

But a major challenge is ensuring these robots perform reliably beyond the lab, particularly in messy, unpredictable or low-visibility conditions. — Bo Wang, The Conversation, 28 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