messier; messiest
1
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
a messy room
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
Ortega kept her glam perfectly moody, with a low, messy bun, a deep plum lip, and whisper thin eyebrows.
—
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2025
Reviewers have paired it with leggings for a roomy fit that isn’t messy.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2025
Instant classics tend to be messy that way.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Jars of thick honey can feel messy or impractical for travel.
—Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2025
Reviewers have paired it with leggings for a roomy fit that isn’t messy.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2025
Instant classics tend to be messy that way.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Jars of thick honey can feel messy or impractical for travel.
—Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
messy
adjective
messier; messiest
1
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
2
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share