messier; messiest
1
: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
a messy room
3
: extremely unpleasant or trying
messy lawsuits
a messy divorce
Synonyms
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
House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke is mourning a messy moment for her Team Green matriarch, Alicent Hightower.
—
Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 June 2024
While the outcome of the case is far from certain, the litigation pose risks to the less than a year old government that was formed after a messy general election last year.
—Anuchit Nguyen / Bloomberg, TIME, 18 June 2024
There’s a sense of interior chaos to Lee’s designs for Mercy’s space that reflects a messy character and the caprice of Hong Kong landlords.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 June 2024
But Take Note Chalk dust can be messy, easily transferring onto hands and clothes.
—Tanya Edwards, Parents, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for messy 
Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 June 2024
While the outcome of the case is far from certain, the litigation pose risks to the less than a year old government that was formed after a messy general election last year.
—Anuchit Nguyen / Bloomberg, TIME, 18 June 2024
There’s a sense of interior chaos to Lee’s designs for Mercy’s space that reflects a messy character and the caprice of Hong Kong landlords.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 June 2024
But Take Note Chalk dust can be messy, easily transferring onto hands and clothes.
—Tanya Edwards, Parents, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for messy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'messy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to messy
Dictionary Entries Near messy
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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
Share