messiness

noun

Definition of messinessnext
as in mess
a state in which everything is out of order a professional chef would not tolerate such messiness in the kitchen

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 messiness Sick of its messiness, it was removed, opening up the landscape for a new perennial bed. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 July 2026 The portrait of Musk that emerges here is that of a childish, terminally online man who desires to eliminate the messiness of contemporary life for a more rigid order. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 Leave some messiness in your garden and leave the leaves, as decaying leaves are great habitat for fireflies. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026 Either way, Angela’s slip is definitely showing in terms of behind-the-scenes messiness (seriously, enough is enough with the cheating stories! — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026 Alcock’s scrappy characterization, tempering Kara’s jaded toughness and chaotic messiness with an increasingly strong sense of justice, would seem an ideal fit to continue in a similar vein. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026 Training data for robots is slow, physical, and expensive, often requiring human teleoperation or imperfect simulations that struggle with real-world messiness. — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 That grunge and that messiness. — Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 18 June 2026 Plus, a party bus with purpose, the messiness of paying influencers, Jenn Harris’ restaurant of the summer and big James Beard wins. — General Manager, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
  1. mess
  2. chaos
  3. jumble
  4. havoc
  5. confusion
  6. hell
Noun
  • Stormwater can also wash away gravel and mulch, leaving you with a mess to clean up after every rain.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • Swap a mess of tiny tea candles for a larger scented candle styled on a tray with a pair of decorative matches.
    — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • As fans crowded around phones, McDonald and Kline hoisted the television so the watch party could continue - a small act of levity and camaraderie amid chaos.
    — Meredith Nierman, NPR, 17 July 2026
  • One is trying to create chaos by insisting that fraud exists.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Noun
  • His counterpressing has been a major aid to the way the team plays, and Balogun’s ability to run in behind the lines and cause havoc in the box opens space and makes things easier for the attacking players around him.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • You’d be forgiven for thinking far fewer of the destructive predators are causing havoc, however.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • The Cook County Department of Public Health is working to counteract vaccine misinformation, myths and confusion regarding vaccines as part of its efforts to increase vaccination rates.
    — Francine Knowles, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • There’s been a lot of excitement, and a lot of questions, and a lot of confusion.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • When the typewriter was first invented, writers kicked hell and said, The thing is writing.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • The cast, of course, knew that experience of family as heaven, hell and somewhere in between.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
Definition of hell

Browse Nearby Words

messily
messiness
messing
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Cite this Entry

“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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