mess

1. a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition:

   The room was in a mess.

   Antonyms: order

2. a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered.
3. a state of embarrassing confusion:

   My affairs are in a mess.

   Synonyms: muddle, hodgepodge, farrago, confusion, disarray, disorder

4. an unpleasant or difficult situation:

   She got into a mess driving without a license.

   Synonyms: pickle, plight, predicament

5. a dirty or untidy mass, litter, or jumble:

   a mess of papers.

6. a group regularly taking their meals together.
7. the meal so taken.
8. mess hall ( def ).
9. Naval. messroom ( def ).
10. a quantity of food sufficient for a dish or a single occasion:

    to pick a mess of sweet corn for dinner.

11. a sloppy or unappetizing preparation of food.
12. a dish or quantity of soft or liquid food:

    to cook up a nice mess of pottage.

13. a person whose life or affairs are in a state of confusion, especially a person with a confused or disorganized moral or psychological outlook.

1. to make dirty or untidy (often followed by up ):

   Don't mess the room.

2. to make a mess or muddle of (affairs, responsibilities, etc.) (often followed by up ):

   They messed the deal.

   Synonyms: botch, mix up

   Antonyms: tidy, neaten, arrange

3. to supply with meals, as military personnel.
4. to treat roughly; beat up (usually followed by up ):

   The gang messed him up.

1. to eat in company, especially as a member of a mess.
2. to make a dirty or untidy mess.

verb phrase

1. to intervene officiously; meddle:

   You'll get no thanks for messing in the affairs of others.

2. 1. Informal. to busy oneself without purpose or plan; work aimlessly or halfheartedly; putter.
   2. Informal. to waste time; loaf.
   3. Informal. to meddle or interfere.
   4. Informal. to involve or associate oneself, especially for immoral or unethical purposes:

      His wife accused him of messing around with gamblers.

   5. Slang. to trifle sexually; philander.
3. 1. to make dirty, untidy, or disordered.
   2. to make muddled, confused, etc.; make a mess of; spoil; botch.
   3. to perform poorly; bungle:

      She messed up on the final exam.