messy

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

Synonyms of messy

• chaotic
• sloppy
• cluttered
• confused
• littered
• jumbled
• filthy

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

Jenner, who wore the head-turning gown with a messy zebra print clutch and an effortless updo in her v-log, appeared to wear her long dark hair down in her signature bombshell curls at the wedding. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 Sep. 2026

Previous seasons saw Vernon curate the subterranean room into messy domestic tableaux, with pieces nestled among scenes of dinner parties and unfinished musical manuscripts—the detritus of a chaotic creative process. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026

But this was a necessary step, no matter how messy, under the lights and pressure of the beast known as SEC play. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026

Both parties emerged from the progressive era as messy coalitions of diverse constituencies and interests, not uniform ideologies. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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