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- pronunciation:
- mes
- parts of speech:
- noun, transitive verb, intransitive verb
- phrases:
- mess around
- features:
- Word Combinations (noun, verb), Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
a state of dirtiness or disorder, or something characterized by such.
The house has been in a mess since the baby arrived.Your desk is a mess; how can you find anything?- synonyms:
- clutter, dirtiness, disarray, disorder, filthiness, sloppiness, slovenliness, untidiness
- similar words:
- botch, dirt, hodgepodge, jumble, litter, mare's-nest, mishmash, muddle, muss, offensiveness, pigpen, tumble, upset
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| definition 2: |
a confusing, embarrassing, or troublesome state of affairs.
With neither making much money, their financial situation was a mess.Who can sort out this political mess?- synonyms:
- botch, chaos, confusion, hash, hot water, jam, jumble, kettle of fish, muddle, snarl, tangle
- similar words:
- bedlam, bungle, complication, difficulty, dilemma, embarrassment, fix, foul-up, imbroglio, pandemonium, perplexity, pickle, predicament, scrape, screwup, snafu, trouble, tumble, turmoil
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| definition 3: |
(informal) one whose appearance or whose life is in a disorderly or chaotic condition.
He's been a mess since his wife left him.- similar words:
- foul-up, screwup
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| definition 4: |
a group of people, usu. in military service, who regularly eat meals together.
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| definition 5: |
a meal eaten by such a group, or the room in which this meal is eaten.
- similar words:
- cafeteria, commissary, meal, mess hall, refectory, repast, sitting, table
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| definition 6: |
an amount of something, usu. edible, sufficient for a single person or occasion.
a mess of porridge- similar words:
- amount, portion, quantity, serving
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| related words: |
anarchy, batch, botch, bust, case, chaos, disarray, disorder, heap, hubbub, maze, plight, push, tangle, wreck |
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
messes, messing, messed |
| definition 1: |
to make dirty, untidy, or disorderly (often fol. by up).
Please ask your friends not to mess up the living room.- synonyms:
- clutter, dirty, disarray, disorder, disorganize, litter, untidy
- antonyms:
- straighten
- similar words:
- jumble, muss, rumple
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| definition 2: |
to botch or make a muddle of (often fol. by up).
I got distracted and messed up my golf shot.The weather certainly messed up our vacation plans.- synonyms:
- botch, bungle, hash, jumble, muddle, snarl
- antonyms:
- straighten
- similar words:
- confuse, muff, spoil, tangle
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| related words: |
clutter, litter |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to make a mess.
- synonyms:
- dirty, jumble, litter, muddle
- similar words:
- complicate, tangle
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| definition 2: |
to meddle or become involved (usu. fol. by with or in).
- synonyms:
- meddle
- similar words:
- fool, hamper, interfere, interlope, tamper
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| definition 3: |
to eat in a military mess.
- similar words:
- dine, eat, sup
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| related words: |
litter, meddle, toy |
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| phrase: |
mess around |
The word mess comes from an early French word that means "an amount of food put out at a meal."
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