as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
came home to find a messed basement with his tools scattered about
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interfered
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of messed
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Charles Trepany, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Similarly, Ehrenreich — who has been building back a very interesting and strong career after taking some unfair critical brickbats along the way — is just terrific as this somewhat messed-up local cop.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed
Adjective
-
Depending on how things shake out in court, representation could get messy for west Charlotte’s City Council District 3.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
-
And that the wig was messy, but cute.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In that match, Becky Lynch interfered to help her husband, Seth Rollins, defeat Lee's husband, CM Punk, to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Chicago cornerback Nahshon Wright both grabbed Rice’s facemask and interfered.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This is a young and talented group with tremendous upside under a defensive coordinator who thrives off chaotic defensive lines.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
But everything about this first half offensively — save for one TD pass to Sutton — has felt unorganized and ineffective and chaotic.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While his wife and daughter build a new life in Vienna, Roman stays behind — confused, restless and convinced that things will get better.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
With nearby MPs training their guns on her, Ziva laid down her weapon and sprawled across the blacktop, looking up at a confused Tali.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The post, which shared several photos from the outing, also poked fun at the couple getting caught in the rain while meeting with schoolchildren at the museum.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While some people argued that the photo was degrading to women, Carpenter stood by the photo and poked fun at the controversy while sharing alternate album covers.—
Katherine Schaffstall,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But a patchwork of injunctions that have yet to reach the justices remain in place, creating a jumbled situation that keeps reductions at specific agencies on ice.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
According to Amazon reviews, the material is soft with just the right amount of stretch, while the fit is roomy without looking sloppy.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In that high‑tempo, but sloppy matchup, the Wildcats fell 46‑24, with Mari Adams, a top running back, contributing heavily on the ground and showing flashes of explosive play.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share