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Synonyms

muss

American  
[muhs] / mʌs /

noun

  1. a state of disorder or untidiness.

verb (used with object)

  1. to put into disorder; make messy; rumple (often followed byup ).

    Synonyms:
    bedraggle, tangle, disturb, mess
muss British  
/ mʌs /

verb

  1. to make untidy; rumple

"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

noun

  1. a state of disorder; muddle

"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

Etymology

Origin of muss

1820–30; perhaps blend of mess and fuss

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.

As always, Lorenzo is more than happy to muss up the expected, to push the boundaries while still respecting the core traditions of the art form.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2025

Ich muss mich wohl sehr ungeschickt ausgedrückt haben, denn du hast tatsächlich fast jedes Wort missverstanden.

From Scientific American • Sep. 7, 2023

"Ich muss Deutsch lernen," he said: "I have to learn German."

From Reuters • Apr. 5, 2023

He adds, "No muss, no fuss; she's with us."

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2023

"Don't muss my hair," Fifi fusses, patting it down as if it were a hat.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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.