messy
Americanadjective
-
messier,
comparative
-
messiest
superlative
-
characterized by a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition.
a messy room.
-
causing a mess.
a messy recipe; messy work.
-
embarrassing, difficult, or unpleasant.
a messy political situation.
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characterized by moral or psychological confusion.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of messy
Explanation
Messy things are sloppy, disorganized, or dirty. Your messy room isn't bothering anyone but you — but your messy clothes might not be appropriate for your cousin's formal wedding. When a house is messy, it's cluttered and untidy — there might be clothes on the floor or dishes on the table and counters. A messy notebook could be jammed with papers in no particular order, and a child's messy face may very well be covered with chocolate ice cream. Messy dates from the 1840s, and its figurative meaning, "unethical" or "confused," like a messy divorce, came along in the 1920s.
Vocabulary lists containing messy
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.
See Examples For:
If Democratic Sen. Gary Peters—who in congressional terms is but a 67-year-old whippersnapper—had sought reelection, the messy primary that set up Stevens’ about-face never would’ve happened.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
Once in conversation, however, he is generous and deeply feeling, willing to engage in the messy project of shared meaning-making so long as it’s not the meaning of a particular reference, form or setting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The appeal of strips is based on convenience: Pills can be hard to swallow, powders can be messy and gummies can be sugary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Although it was messy at times, the Jets seem to have a fine defence, with eight sacks on Deshaun Watson in their 17-12 success.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
She’s wearing the baby-blue dress from the photo, and her hair is tied up in a messy bun.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
As a result, he says, "I think readers are coming to value very obviously personal writing, and maybe even writing that's messier, less structurally sound or composed or perfected, than they maybe once would've desired."
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Black holes are often compared with cosmic vacuum cleaners, but their feeding behavior is much messier.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
It becomes a little compressed, a little messier and somehow more itself.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
“This deal may still close or it may not. ... The path to either outcome just got longer, messier, and likely more expensive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Picking carrots was easier than thinning lettuce, but a lot messier.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Of all the fronts in the AI wars—funding, electricity, chips—the messiest is the fight for human capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
But the messiest part is likely yet to come.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2024
The LP turns out to be something of a heel turn; it’s got a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2024
Once China’s most prolific property developer, China Evergrande may soon be its biggest and messiest corporate breakup.
From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
The area around my bed was the messiest part of the room, except for the area under my bed, which was even worse.
From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
