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
The San Fernando Valley native is a brilliant director who has made sprawling, messy epics about imperfect people synonymous with his name, like John Ford with Westerns or A24 with art house flicks.
—
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The simplest but messiest option would be to blow up the containers, with explosives attached to each one.
—Matthew Bunn, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
The art style is messier than those shows', with an almost Claymation-meets-live-action look.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
No messy egg half-moons in sight.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
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Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The simplest but messiest option would be to blow up the containers, with explosives attached to each one.
—Matthew Bunn, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
The art style is messier than those shows', with an almost Claymation-meets-live-action look.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
No messy egg half-moons in sight.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 16 Mar. 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 20 Mar. 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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