mess

[ mes ]

noun

1. a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition:

   The room was in a mess.

   Antonyms: order

2. a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered.
3. a state of embarrassing confusion:

   My affairs are in a mess.

   Synonyms: muddle, hodgepodge, farrago, confusion, disarray, disorder

4. an unpleasant or difficult situation:

   She got into a mess driving without a license.

   Synonyms: pickle, plight, predicament

5. a dirty or untidy mass, litter, or jumble:

   a mess of papers.

6. a group regularly taking their meals together.
7. the meal so taken.
8. mess hall ( def ).
9. Naval. messroom ( def ).
10. a quantity of food sufficient for a dish or a single occasion:

    to pick a mess of sweet corn for dinner.

11. a sloppy or unappetizing preparation of food.
12. a dish or quantity of soft or liquid food:

    to cook up a nice mess of pottage.

13. a person whose life or affairs are in a state of confusion, especially a person with a confused or disorganized moral or psychological outlook.

verb (used with object)

1. to make dirty or untidy (often followed by up ):

   Don't mess the room.

2. to make a mess or muddle of (affairs, responsibilities, etc.) (often followed by up ):

   They messed the deal.

   Synonyms: botch, mix up

   Antonyms: tidy, neaten, arrange

3. to supply with meals, as military personnel.
4. to treat roughly; beat up (usually followed by up ):

   The gang messed him up.

verb (used without object)

1. to eat in company, especially as a member of a mess.
2. to make a dirty or untidy mess.

verb phrase

1. 1. to make dirty, untidy, or disordered.
   2. to make muddled, confused, etc.; make a mess of; spoil; botch.
   3. to perform poorly; bungle:

      She messed up on the final exam.

2. 1. Informal. to busy oneself without purpose or plan; work aimlessly or halfheartedly; putter.
   2. Informal. to waste time; loaf.
   3. Informal. to meddle or interfere.
   4. Informal. to involve or associate oneself, especially for immoral or unethical purposes:

      His wife accused him of messing around with gamblers.

   5. Slang. to trifle sexually; philander.
3. to intervene officiously; meddle:

   You'll get no thanks for messing in the affairs of others.

mess

/ mɛs /

noun

1. a state of confusion or untidiness, esp if dirty or unpleasant

   the house was in a mess

2. a chaotic or troublesome state of affairs; muddle

   his life was a mess

3. informal.
   a dirty or untidy person or thing
4. archaic.
   a portion of food, esp soft or semiliquid food
5. a place where service personnel eat or take recreation

   an officers' mess

6. a group of people, usually servicemen, who eat together
7. the meal so taken
8. mess of pottage
   a material gain involving the sacrifice of a higher value

verb

1. troften foll byup to muddle or dirty
2. intr to make a mess
3. introften foll bywith to interfere; meddle
4. intr; often foll by with or together military to group together, esp for eating

Word History and Origins

Origin of mess¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mes, from Old French: “course at a meal,” from Late Latin missus “(something) sent” (i.e., put on the table), noun use of past participle of Latin mittere “to send”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mess¹

C13: from Old French mes dish of food, from Late Latin missus course (at table), from Latin mittere to send forth, set out

Idioms and Phrases

• get into trouble (a mess)
• make a hash (mess) of

Example Sentences

The best part is when Evans, as Jack, attempts to explain the whole mess to his son and ends up describing the inexplicable and ridiculous plot in a hilariously flat and literal manner.

From Los Angeles Times

She said his "tax mess" had led to cabinet ministers "queuing up for public sector bailouts".

From BBC

Handed the struggling Miami Dolphins on a blue-and-gold platter, the Rams fumbled the exchange, dropped the shining opportunity with a loud clang, made a total mess of the joint, and staggered away with a 23-15 loss that was as ugly as the score sounded.

From Los Angeles Times

Andrew Kellaway streaked clear to score after the ball went to ground in a mess of an England midfield move.

From BBC

The government says it wants to shake up and sort out the mess that defence procurement has become.

From BBC

Related Words

• chaos
• clutter
• confusion
• debris
• disarray
• jumble
• mayhem
• shambles
• turmoil
• wreck
• wreckage