hot mess

American

noun

Slang.

a person or thing that is a mess, as in being disorganized, confused, or untidy, yet remains attractive or appealing.

He’s a hot mess when he wakes up in the morning!

Usage

What does hot mess mean? Hot mess is used to describe a particularly disorganized person or chaotic situation. In some uses, a person described as a hot mess is attractive but just barely keeping it together.

Etymology

Origin of hot mess

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I had a hat on and socks mismatched — I was a real hot mess.

From Los Angeles Times

She already thought he was a hot mess.

From Literature

It took you a moment because I was a hot mess.

From Los Angeles Times

You weren’t a hot mess, but I didn’t see it coming.

From Los Angeles Times

Ambassador Fried says last week's 28-point US plan was a "hot mess" but that the impetus behind it is real.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023