as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
having a messy room is virtually de rigueur for a college student
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messy
Why this matters is that, for decades, probing the deep laws of Quantum Electrodynamics required smashing particle beams into lasers — a process as messy and complicated as analyzing a car crash by watching footage from 10 different moving cameras.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
For him, in becoming photosynthetic, civilized beings would only gain in hallmarks of intelligence, like autonomy and compassion, given that a species living off starlight converts energy to work without the messy, immoral mediation of a food chain.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Artichokes were the rare food we were allowed to play with, a fun, messy extravaganza that only happened in spring.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
The political situation has only gotten messier since then.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
For him, in becoming photosynthetic, civilized beings would only gain in hallmarks of intelligence, like autonomy and compassion, given that a species living off starlight converts energy to work without the messy, immoral mediation of a food chain.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Artichokes were the rare food we were allowed to play with, a fun, messy extravaganza that only happened in spring.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
The political situation has only gotten messier since then.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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But overall, humanoid robots still have a long way to go in demonstrating their capability to operate in complex and sometimes chaotic environments.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
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In Silky Smooth, Liao explores the chaotic stages of adulthood, scheduling fun plans with tired friends, the unfair treatment of single people, being attracted to silly men, and the fear of being a role model to her pretend children.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The watery consommé subsumed what few masa dumplings swam their lonesome swirls in the bowl, with cobs of corn left like derelict buoys in the sloppy orange miasma.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Every league has flaws, but the NBA stands out for how often blowouts, injuries, and sloppy play dominate the product.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Excessive branding often draws unnecessary attention and can make an outfit feel cluttered rather than chic.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
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The result is a space that feels collected and lived-in without being cluttered or chaotic.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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It gets filled by outside forces, many of whom have foreign ties and understand that a confused and misinformed public is easier to manipulate than an informed one.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
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The second is that Trump, as strategist-in-chief, keeps giving his negotiators objectives so implausible, confused or contradictory that even the wiliest diplomats in history — a Klemens von Metternich in the 19th century, say, or a Henry Kissinger in the 20th — would come up empty.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Trust us, this works a lot better than trying to check off multiple boxes and ending up with an area that just feels jumbled.—
Rachel Davies,
Architectural Digest,
15 Apr. 2026
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The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Food that needed to be trashed for age or temperature abuse, malodorous air and filthy food containers were among the 33 violations an inspector found at a popular Miami seafood restaurant.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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The girl from Santo Domingo’s bajo mundo made her name rapping gleefully filthy dembow in space-punk regalia.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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