messy
Americanadjective
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characterized by a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition.
a messy room.
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causing a mess.
a messy recipe; messy work.
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embarrassing, difficult, or unpleasant.
a messy political situation.
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characterized by moral or psychological confusion.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of messy
Explanation
Messy things are sloppy, disorganized, or dirty. Your messy room isn't bothering anyone but you — but your messy clothes might not be appropriate for your cousin's formal wedding. When a house is messy, it's cluttered and untidy — there might be clothes on the floor or dishes on the table and counters. A messy notebook could be jammed with papers in no particular order, and a child's messy face may very well be covered with chocolate ice cream. Messy dates from the 1840s, and its figurative meaning, "unethical" or "confused," like a messy divorce, came along in the 1920s.
Vocabulary lists containing messy
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.
"He's stepping into an environment that's already messy," warned North of Allianz Trade.
From Barron's • Jun. 14, 2026
When actually the true version of ourselves is kind of messy, chaotic and vulnerable.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
The blowup at “60 Minutes” is an especially messy and conflicted expression perhaps of a necessary transition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
In doing so, he has saddled the party with the risks of an untested candidate who has a messy life story.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
The beautiful belt was tied in a messy knot off to one side.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
