messy

[ mes-ee ]
See synonyms for: messymessiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,mess·i·er, mess·i·est.
  1. characterized by a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition: a messy room.

  2. causing a mess: a messy recipe; messy work.

  1. embarrassing, difficult, or unpleasant: a messy political situation.

  2. characterized by moral or psychological confusion.

Origin of messy

1
First recorded in 1835–45; mess + -y1

Other words from messy

  • mess·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use messy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for messy

messy

/ (ˈmɛsɪ) /


adjectivemessier or messiest
  1. dirty, confused, or untidy

Derived forms of messy

  • messily, adverb
  • messiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012