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

Brett and Tracy Denson's love story is messier than most. —Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

If a mess does happen, clean up spills or messy bakes early so that grime and grease don’t build up. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026

The Micro Honey Harvester was the result of six years of experimenting with prototypes along with feedback from beekeepers worldwide who vented about the frustrations of honey production being laborious, messy and stressful for both beekeepers and the bees. —Shirl Leigh january 20, New Atlas, 20 Jan. 2026

However, these trash cans can still get messy. —Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 19 Jan. 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