muss

1 of 2

noun

1
obsolete
a
: a game in which players scramble for small objects thrown to the ground
b
2
slang : a confused conflict : row
3
: a state of disorder : mess

muss

2 of 2

verb

mussed; mussing; musses

transitive verb

: to make untidy : disarrange

Examples of muss in a Sentence

Noun careful planning had eliminated most of the muss that usually accompanies a move to a new house Verb His suit was mussed when he got out of the car. the wind mussed up my hair
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Zero fuss, zero muss and one terrific choice by the Wildcats. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Say Hello to Illumination Innovation Light up your space with Brilliant Evolution LED lights – no fuss, no muss. Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024 No fuss, no muss. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2022 No-fuss, no muss. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2021 No other muss or complications. Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 8 June 2020 As promised, the restaurant is a no-fuss, no-muss operation. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2023 James, Sami, Jesse, Cassidy, and Karla (all from the super alliance of seven) sat out without much muss or fuss. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2022 Ideal for anyone who doesn't want the muss and fuss of a wood fire, this gas fire table makes for a snazzy addition to a patio or porch. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 6 Sep. 2022
Verb
The rest of her hair is still pulled back, but there's more messy, run-your-fingers-through-it volume at the crown, as though Lopez was wearing her hair in a ponytail that was then mussed up by a lover. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Oct. 2023 The hair is mussed, faces are bare of makeup, their off-duty wardrobe consists of white tees, denim overshirts, jeans, and loose-fitting trousers. Taylor Glasby, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2023 The non-tacky formula musses the ends of short cuts, sculpts long layers, and smooths flyaways with a cool, semimatte finish. Liana Schaffner, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 Later, investigating a shady gambling boat, Perry undoes the courtroom suit jacket and loosens his tie, while a brawl with henchmen musses his crisp shirt. Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2023 The story goes that the pastry chef Lasne, who had a shop near the Paris stock exchange in the late 1800s, created these little cakes for his stockbroker clients as a treat that wouldn’t muss their hands. New York Times, 2 Feb. 2022 Curreri came onstage in jeans and a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, his beard short and his dark hair mussed. Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, 14 Mar. 2020 The black and white clip -- tinged with a touch of red on Trump's tie and his signature MAGA hats -- includes his legendary hair-mussing on The Tonight Show and a deep, soulful American flag embrace. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2019 So, is Chrissy and John's a custom piece, adding additional anxiety to the concept of mussing it? Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 3 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'muss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of muss was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near muss

Cite this Entry

“Muss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muss. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

muss

1 of 2 noun
: a state of disorder : mess
mussy
adjective

muss

2 of 2 verb
: to make untidy : rumple
mussed my hair

More from Merriam-Webster on muss

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