hot mess

noun

, Slang.

1. 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!

Word History and Origins

Origin of hot mess¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Or would it be a misguided, tonally jarring hot mess with a title to inspire a thousand dog puns?

From Los Angeles Times

“I think that’s its own skill, and oftentimes, in some ways, a harder skill to have and demonstrate is being funny while being the straight person. Sometimes people don’t consider that in the same light that they would consider the unusual person or the hot mess.”

From Los Angeles Times

The film closes with a Vance voice-over explaining that “we choose every day who we become,” a statement that feels like it is pointed directly at the “choices” of hot mess Bev.

From Salon

I’m saying that because he’s a hot mess.

From Literature

But in recent years, I have felt myself wilt, felt myself waver, felt myself surrender to all the studies and opinion pieces and become a big hot mess.

From Los Angeles Times