messy

[ mes-ee ]

adjective

, mess·i·er, mess·i·est.

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

/ ˈmɛsɪ /

adjective

1. dirty, confused, or untidy

Derived Forms

• ˈmessiness, noun
• ˈmessily, adverb

Other Words From

• messi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of messy¹

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

Example Sentences

It was frantic and messy but Scotland slowly gained composure and piled on the points.

From BBC

As Trump becomes empowered, he also gets messier.

From Salon

When he dropped out, the president endorsed Harris in part to avoid a costly and potentially messy primary.

From Salon

“Brat” was the critical and commercial peak of Charli’s career, and the academy rewarded her up and down the program, with a second-highest seven nominations for a messy meta-rave about how fame refracts femininity.

From Los Angeles Times

“To actually impose a sentence would raise any number of messy issues in the short term,” including political ones, he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• chaotic
• confused
• sloppy