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Synonyms

messy

American  
[mes-ee] / ˈmɛs i /

adjective

messier, messiest

  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 British  
/ ˈmɛsɪ /

adjective

  1. dirty, confused, or untidy

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of messy

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

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.

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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.

Dean was named best new artist of the year, while Young won Best Pop Solo Performance with her soaraway hit "Messy".

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Messy matters of the heart can’t—and shouldn’t—be adjudicated by a court of law, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Appeared in the March 17, 2026, print edition as 'Private Lending Ties Get Messy for Banks'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Messy singer Young, who won a Grammy Award last month, recently made a return to performing live after collapsing at a US show and taking a break to "work on herself".

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Messy, but it should suffice, provided the locator wasn’t examined too closely.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.