messed 1 of 2

adjective

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

messed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of mess
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
Adjective
Tracy Letts plays her perverted husband, while Callum Turner, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage and Riley Keough star as her very messed up children, and Elle Fanning is Bell’s paramour. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 July 2026 By making this register the emotional climax of the season, the show leaves us with the impression that John and Carolyn’s relationship was more messed up than fulfilling or loving. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 His skin looks all messed up and he's hunched over in pain, hearing noises. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026 The first week or so of February will be a bit messed up because of bright moonlight. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026 Stagner had seen a lot of messed-up things in his life, from explosives in Iraq wounding fellow Marines to the gruesome aftermath of shootings in Brunswick. — ProPublica, 13 Sep. 2025 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
In Argentina, however, the Barras bravas remain a muscular, not-to-be-messed-with presence. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 14 July 2026 The May 23 rainout in New York that messed with their vibe. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026 Rocky was not to be messed with. — CBS News, 18 June 2026 What is a home, if not something to be messed with? — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026 That crash really messed me up. — Michael Hollett, SPIN, 14 June 2026 This man is not to be messed with. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026 This mash-up is not a dish to be messed with. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 May 2026 That idea has led to a rigid view that symphonic pieces aren’t to be messed with. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed
  1. messy
  2. interfered
  3. chaotic
  4. snooped
  5. confused
  6. poked
  7. littered
  8. sloppy
Adjective
  • Each baby wore a collar with a chain and had a messy bed of straw.
    — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The way the film gets to that epic crossover moment is a little messy — Peter’s intentions of trying to rehabilitate invading villains like Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) are noble but sadly naïve in a frustrating way.
    — Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of messy
Verb
  • Marina Shafir interfered and took out Matt Jackson on the outside as fans booed.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • One area where the government interfered rather aggressively in the economy concerned the rates and tariffs the railroads charged.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 1 July 2026
Definition of interfered
Adjective
  • The fan-favorite Green secured a career-defining victory, capitalizing on a chaotic finish involving top contenders like Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, and Lash Legend.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • These essentials, and so much more, have completely transformed my chaotic packing system into a seamless one.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Verb
  • While authorities snooped around, the charity’s fundraising expenses declined, dropping from $384,000 in 2016 to $111,000 in 2017.
    — Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
  • Untrustworthy employees There have been cases where employees at security companies snooped through camera feeds.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Definition of snooped
Adjective
  • Instead, the calls were about, for example, a homeless person who fell asleep in a store, a person who seemed confused in a public park, and someone who was yelling at passersby on the street.
    — Scott Maucione, NPR, 27 July 2026
  • These are questions to raise confidence levels among United fans, rather than confused eyebrows.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • Offering a clever twist, the warm cake is poked with the handle of a wooden spoon, creating space for a vanilla-pineapple pudding to sink deep into the crumb.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Let sit at room temperature until buns are puffed and expanded to edges of muffin cups (dough will spring back when poked but hold a slight indentation), 25–35 minutes.
    — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of poked
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.
    — Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of littered
Adjective
  • Between snot, sloppy kisses, spit up, poop and grabby little hands, there are plenty of other pathways by which a lactating parent’s body could get information about what antibodies to put on the menu.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 29 July 2026
  • Just barely sloppy enough for the Court of Appeals to conclude that the mere recital that the interests were held in TBE was not enough.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of sloppy

Browse Nearby Words

mess around
messed
messed around
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Cite this Entry

“Messed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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