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 The fight sequences have an engaging messiness, the characters often fumbling around rather than delivering expert moves. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 One imagines Dahl, whose sometimes monstrous characters captured childhood in all its messiness, would be relieved. — Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 This collection does not beautify quotidian messiness but shows us how love celebrates our imperfections. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 After months of further reporting, handwringing, mud-slinging and general messiness, the NBA dropped the hammer yesterday. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 We were immediately drawn to Rick Donald’s sharp, heartfelt comedy about the messiness of family and being forced to grow up. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 The result was an album that turned the intimate messiness of Winehouse’s life into something both musically timeless and culturally seismic. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 Those who are furthest away from owning the messiness of implementation, are more likely to feel the matter is settled. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 Crowley suggests the messiness of the primary is because the President is messing with Democrats’ heads. — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
  1. mess
  2. chaos
  3. jumble
  4. havoc
  5. confusion
  6. hell
Noun
  • Driver is the unreliable but well-intentioned brother/uncle who gets them into this sordid mess.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026
  • An aluminum core helps distribute heat evenly, while drip-free pouring rims help keep messes contained.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Today chaos gives bad people the opportunity to advance their own nefarious agendas with little regards for the American people.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Democrats, especially under President Joe Biden, spent years treating border enforcement as optional, and the chaos that followed put American safety at risk.
    — Don Bacon, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 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
  • But until then, Kyiv needs to get ahead of Moscow and stop its ability to wreak aerial havoc.
    — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Thousands sheltered on Monday in evacuation centres in the Thai capital, parts of it still flooded after havoc brought by intense weekend rain, while swelling reservoirs in an eastern province triggered orders for more to leave their homes.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • The conflicting rulings caused confusion and frustration for voters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Since the Iran war began, there has been increasing confusion over the number of troops who have been injured and killed, unlike in many other overseas conflicts when data is reported routinely.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • Compulsory worship with frightening dogma, which could lead you equally plausibly to heaven or hell.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Lord knows, there are many reasons—funding, casting, development hell—that movies fail to get made.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of hell

Browse Nearby Words

messily
messiness
messing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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