Messy definition and meaning

Messy definition: A messy person or activity makes things dirty or untidy. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

Definition of ’messy’

Word Frequency


messy


(


m

ɛ

si



)

Word forms:


messier


,


messiest


1.


adjective

A

messy

person or activity makes things dirty or not

neat

.


She was a good, if messy, cook.

Synonyms:


disorganized

,


sloppy



[

informal

]

,

untidy

,

slovenly


More Synonyms of

messy


2.


adjective

Something that is

messy

is dirty or not neat.


Don’t worry if this first coat of paint looks messy.


3.


adjective

If you describe a situation as

messy

, you are emphasizing that it is confused or complicated, and therefore unsatisfactory.


John had been through a messy divorce himself.


More Synonyms of

messy


COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Video: pronunciation of

messy

Word Frequency


messy


in American English


(


ˈmɛsi



)


adjective

Word forms:


ˈmessier


or


ˈmessiest

in,

like

, or

characterized

by a

mess

; untidy, dirty, etc.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms



messily


(

ˈmessily

)


adverb



messiness


(

ˈmessiness

)


noun

Word Frequency


messy


in American English


(


ˈmesi


)


adjective

Word forms:


messier


,


messiest


1.

characterized by a dirty, untidy, or

disordered


condition
a messy room


2.

causing a mess
a messy recipe
messy work


3.

a messy political situation


4.

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms


messiness


noun

Word origin


[

1835–45;

mess

+

-y


1


]

Word Frequency


messy


in British English


(


ˈmɛsɪ



)


adjective

Word forms:


messier


or


messiest


Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms



messily


(

ˈmessily

)


adverb



messiness


(

ˈmessiness

)


noun

Examples of ‘messy’ in a sentence

messy


Read more…


He is

going

through a messy

divorce

.


The Sun



(

2016

)


So it

looks

a

bit

messy.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2016

)


Him’s

parents

have

gone

through a messy divorce and

find

him a bit of a

trial

.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2016

)


This messy

business


took

place less than a

year


ago

so bitterness is understandable.


The Sun



(

2014

)


The process was neither messy nor

expensive

.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2007

)


This was at a time when he was going through a messy and

public

divorce.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2006

)


The only

disappointment

is that it was all a bit messy.


The Sun



(

2006

)


The

collapse

of

empires

has

always

been a

painful

and messy business.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2015

)



Now

it

seems


destined

for a messy divorce.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2010

)


It

might

be a bit messy but it

will

be me.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2007

)

Show more…



Growing

up has always been a messy business but these

days

it

can

seem

close

to

intolerable

.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2015

)


He is

famous

for messy

desks

.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2008

)


The process is messy and

costly

.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2015

)



Celebrity

divorces are a messy business.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2010

)


This was the

really

messy bit.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2012

)



Humanity

is a

pretty

messy business.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2012

)


People

exert

less

self-control

after

seeing

a messy desk than after seeing a

clean

desk.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2012

)


A messy desk can be a

highly


effective

prioritising and

accessing

system.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2015

)


It was dirty and messy, but that wasn’t it.


The Sun



(

2013

)


It is often a time of

immense


upheaval

and

worry

, when your

warm

and

tidy


home

is

turned

into a messy and dirty

building


site

.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2008

)


It’s a messy, dirty process.


Times, Sunday Times



(

2010

)


I am a

superb

, if messy,

cook

.


Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda


Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook



(

1995

)

Related word partners

messy


messy business

Trends of

messy

View usage over:

In other languages

messy


British English

:


messy


ˈmɛsɪ

/

ADJECTIVE

A

messy

person or activity makes things dirty or untidy.
She was a terribly messy cook.


American English

:


messy


ˈmɛsi

/


Arabic

:

فَوْضَوِيٌ


Brazilian Portuguese

:

bagunçado


Chinese

:

凌乱的


Croatian

:

neuredan


Czech

:

nepořádný


Danish

:

rodet


Dutch

:

rommelig


European Spanish

:


desordenado


Finnish

:

sotkuinen


French

:


désordonné


German

:


unordentlich


Greek

:

ακατάστατος


Italian

:


disordinato


Japanese

:

取り散らかした


Korean

:

지저분한


Norwegian

:

rotete


Polish

:

brudny


European Portuguese

:


trapalhão


Romanian

:

dezordonat


Russian

:

грязный


Spanish

:


desordenado


Swedish

:

rörig


Thai

:

ซึ่งไม่มีระเบียบ, ไม่เรียบร้อย, สกปรก


Turkish

:

kirli


Ukrainian

:

неохайний


Vietnamese

:

lộn xộn


Translate your text for free

Nearby words of

messy

Related terms of

messy

Source

Definition of

messy

from the

Collins English Dictionary

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question:

1

Score:


0

/

5


plain


or


plane

?

Which version is correct?


gait


or


gate

?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
gate
gait


He opened the


and started walking up to the house.


their


or


they’re

?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
they’re
their


Some people eat when


feeling low.


morning


or


mourning

?

Which version is correct?


currant


or


current

?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
currant
current


I offered him a


bun with his tea.


Your score:

Apr 30, 2021

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the branch of horticulture that is concerned with the study and cultivation of fruit


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Scrabble score
for ‘messy’:


10

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