messier; messiest
1
a
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
a messy room
b
: likely to create a mess
a messy task/hobby
messy paint
3
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
a messy divorce
plural -es
: the quality or state of being messy
there is a certain messiness in the analysis in that he is forced from the start to assume multiple values—
A. A. Hill
A. A. HillExamples of messy in a Sentence
Adjective
Painting a room can be messy work.
Some kinds of glue are messier than others.
a delicious but messy sandwich
Recent Examples on the Web
Claire Zillman, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Human relationships are also messy, and that messiness helps kids learn about themselves and the world.
—Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 12 June 2026
The data is messy or locked behind proprietary schemas.
—Abhijeet Mukkawar, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Some fans wondered if this was some kind of PR stunt, while many others saw the opening act of something considerably messier.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Organizational change experts say that this kind of rupture is almost never necessary, and that the messiest transformations are often the least effective ones.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Human relationships are also messy, and that messiness helps kids learn about themselves and the world.
—Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 12 June 2026
The data is messy or locked behind proprietary schemas.
—Abhijeet Mukkawar, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Some fans wondered if this was some kind of PR stunt, while many others saw the opening act of something considerably messier.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
messy
adjective
messier; messiest
1
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
2
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
