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
Examples of messy in a Sentence
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
Target and Fiddelke are hoping to win back customers driven away by complaints of messy shelves and long check-out lines.
—
Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
One thing is missing from Cardi's emo look, however, was the signature messy, pitch-black eyeliner, which was a mainstay for scene kids.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
But for such an elegant move, the figure skating backflip has a surprisingly messy past.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Now, amid an increasingly messy global press tour, that debate and several others are being hashed out — on and off the red carpet.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
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Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
One thing is missing from Cardi's emo look, however, was the signature messy, pitch-black eyeliner, which was a mainstay for scene kids.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
But for such an elegant move, the figure skating backflip has a surprisingly messy past.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Now, amid an increasingly messy global press tour, that debate and several others are being hashed out — on and off the red carpet.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 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 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
messy
adjective
messier; messiest
1
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
2
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
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