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
None feels authentic, at least until a messy affair with the unsettling, slightly feral Samuel (Harris Dickinson) encourages her to try out a kind of role-play that’s wholly new.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
Alas, Costner left after the first part of S5; the second half unceremoniously kills off his character at the start of the first episode, with the remaining season dealing with the messy aftermath of what turns out to be an assassination.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
By this point, the feud had gotten exceedingly messy with horrific allegations – some of which would be downright criminal in nature if proven true, but none of which were ever accompanied with any real evidence.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2024
Donald Trump and Elon Musk will have a messy falling-out.
—Rob Toews, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for messy 
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Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
Alas, Costner left after the first part of S5; the second half unceremoniously kills off his character at the start of the first episode, with the remaining season dealing with the messy aftermath of what turns out to be an assassination.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
By this point, the feud had gotten exceedingly messy with horrific allegations – some of which would be downright criminal in nature if proven true, but none of which were ever accompanied with any real evidence.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2024
Donald Trump and Elon Musk will have a messy falling-out.
—Rob Toews, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for messy
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 30 Dec. 2024.
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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