Synonyms of mess

mess 1 of 2

noun

ˈmes 

1

as in havoc

a state in which everything is out of order

the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess

Synonyms & Similar Words

• havoc
• hell
• jumble
• chaos
• confusion
• disarray
• disorder
• messiness
• tangle
• heck
• disorganization
• shambles
• disarrangement
• muddle
• muss
• clutter
• disorderliness
• snake pit
• free-for-all
• riot
• dishevelment
• tumble
• welter
• maze
• anarchy
• misorder
• chance-medley
• labyrinth
• disorderedness
• mare's nest
• snarl
• misrule
• lawlessness
• maelstrom
• web
• mishmash
• shuffle
• knot
• storm
• hodgepodge
• litter
• morass
• motley
• medley
• bollix
• miscellany

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• order
• system
• plan
• orderliness
• method
• pattern

2

as in meal

food eaten or prepared for eating at one time

a mess of oatmeal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• meal
• menu
• feed
• table
• dinner
• repast
• chow
• lunch
• supper
• feast
• buffet
• banquet
• breakfast
• refection
• board
• snack
• tea
• smorgasbord
• taste
• refreshments
• serving
• collation
• bite
• luncheon
• gulp
• fry
• picnic
• roast
• bake
• potluck
• morsel
• cookout
• barbecue
• spread
• fry-up
• clambake
• regale
• luau

3

as in sight

something unpleasant to look at

the car was a mess after the accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sight
• fright
• horror
• stain
• eyesore
• smudge
• monstrosity
• hideosity
• spot
• smear
• blot
• eye-catcher

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• vision

4

as in loads

a considerable amount

an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loads
• deal
• plenty
• ton
• pile
• bunch
• dozen
• slew
• lot
• chunk
• quantity
• wealth
• bundle
• stack
• raft
• abundance
• heap
• good deal
• myriad
• quite a bit
• hundred
• all kinds (of)
• bucket
• pack
• yard
• gobs
• mountain
• pot
• multiplicity
• volume
• boatload
• profusion
• mass
• sight
• much
• truckload
• barrel
• store
• wad
• carload
• potful
• fistful
• shipload
• sheaf
• plateful
• bushel
• reams
• peck
• plague
• flood
• oodles
• plenitude
• spate
• basketful
• scads
• lashings
• passel
• thousands
• surplus
• rash
• excess
• embarrassment
• score
• plentitude
• epidemic
• overkill
• overflow
• sea
• multitude
• overabundance
• redundancy
• swarm
• bonanza
• deluge
• plethora
• oversupply
• crowd
• superabundance
• host
• army
• throng
• superfluity
• flock
• surfeit
• horde
• overage
• crush
• cram
• herd
• million
• press
• bevy
• overmuch
• drove
• mob
• legion
• zillion
• gazillion
• trillion
• jillion
• kazillion

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strain
• bit
• touch
• taste
• spot
• suspicion
• streak
• shadow
• mouthful
• scrap
• lick
• speck
• hint
• handful
• pinch
• trace
• fragment
• sprinkling
• shade
• peanuts
• grain
• mite
• whit
• pittance
• particle
• molecule
• ounce
• glimmer
• shred
• scruple
• tad
• sprinkle
• dab
• atom
• ray
• ace
• dot
• nip
• crumb
• dram
• modicum
• little
• granule
• drop
• mote
• jot
• iota
• section
• tittle
• dash
• smattering
• piece
• portion
• scintilla
• lack
• smidgen
• absence
• shot
• shortage
• driblet
• fleck
• morsel
• poverty
• flyspeck
• want
• deficit
• scarcity
• nubbin
• deficiency
• smatter
• paucity
• famine
• inadequacy
• insufficiency
• dearth
• undersupply
• meagerness
• scantness
• scantiness
• skimpiness
• scarceness

mess

2 of 2

verb

as in to interfere

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern

please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interfere
• snoop
• poke
• meddle
• intervene
• intrude
• butt in
• intermeddle
• muck (about or around)
• pry
• obtrude
• nose
• interlope
• fool
• intercede
• invade
• trespass
• encroach
• fiddle
• tamper
• play
• monkey
• infringe
• interpose
• chisel (in)
• barge (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoid
• ignore
• disregard
• neglect
• shun
• overlook
• eschew

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mess

Noun

One of its many messes was the expansion of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, run by the Department of Homeland Security. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Even Rodrigo, the almost too-good student who should make a mess someday, went total sprite, toying with everyone’s jugular. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026

Verb

The sequence in which Carmy tries to talk Richie down from a panic attack feels equally dynamic and alive right to its conclusion — when Carmy pretends they’ve gotten locked in, just as Carmy once was, to mess with Richie’s head. — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026

No one can match her depth and passion to get vengeance on Krem of the Yellow Hills for messing with her family — a sentiment Cancers understand. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Phrases Containing mess

• mess (up)
• mess (with)
• mess around
• mess over

Video

Hot Mess

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings