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
Adding a dust ruffle around the base of your bed can make this spot even better for keeping messy items hidden.
—
Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 12 Jan. 2026
Things are made more difficult by the fact there is no singular problem affecting the club, but a messy knot of issues, many of which take root at the highest level.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The process of organizing a messy closet from top to bottom can feel overwhelming.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2026
Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
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Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 12 Jan. 2026
Things are made more difficult by the fact there is no singular problem affecting the club, but a messy knot of issues, many of which take root at the highest level.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The process of organizing a messy closet from top to bottom can feel overwhelming.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2026
Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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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