Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for messy

messy

[ mes-ee ]

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.

  3. embarrassing, difficult, or unpleasant:

    a messy political situation.

  4. characterized by moral or psychological confusion.


messy

/ ˈmɛsɪ /

adjective

  1. dirty, confused, or untidy


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈmessily, adverb
  • ˈmessiness, noun

Discover More

Other Words From

  • messi·ness noun

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of messy1

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

Discover More

Example Sentences

It was clear that Apple’s antiquated App Store rules needed an update, but now that we see their solution, it’s clear that things are going to be very messy for platform operators and game developers that were hoping for an easy solution.

These soft, elegant towels can go up against even the messiest food spills.

What you usually get is messy, frustratingly slow progress, and self-doubt about your own voice and skills.

From Fortune

The formula for these points was quite messy, but if you’d like to see it nevertheless, check out the write-ups of Laurent Lessard, who found a condition on these values, and David Zimmerman, who attempted to find a closed-form solution.

The battle to secure as many vaccine doses as possible, once approved, could prove an even messier fight given that a limited number of companies are trying to address the problems of the entire world.

From Fortune

If you think divorce between two people is messy and traumatic, imagine divorcing yourself.

But there is a messy middle territory between demonization and idealization.

THE NEW YORK TIMES/JILL ABRAMSON DISASTER: It was messy enough when, on May 14, New York Times Co.

In another, they sit smiling inside their Los Angeles apartment at a messy kitchen table.

Their inevitable divorce was messy, bitter, and packed with bizarre occurrences.

I can't bear ugly, messy places; above all, messy, untidy places make me perfectly cross and miserable.'

There used to be a very messy, rocky desert here, and we used to have to scrabble and scratch our way to the monument.

There was something so messy about dish-washing, ordinary dish-washing; milk-pans were different.

Fishing seemed a messy business—an uncouth trade among uncouth men.

I did write out my translations on an extra paper first, for I didnt want to make any erasures and have a messy paper.

Advertisement

Related Words

Word of the Day

firkin

[fur-kin ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


mess withmestee