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mess
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- pronunciation:
- mes
- parts of speech:
- noun, transitive verb, intransitive verb
- phrases:
- mess around, mess up
- 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 complete 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.
My brother was a mess when I saw him; he'd obviously been living on the streets, and his clothes looked like rags.I'm such a mess! I just can't seem to organize my life!He's been a mess since his wife left him.- synonyms:
- wreck
- similar words:
- foul-up, nut-case, sadsack, scatterbrain, screwup, wretch
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| definition 4: |
a group of people, usu. in military service, who regularly eat meals together.
There was a great joke going around the mess at that time, but I can't remember all of it now. |
| definition 5: |
a meal eaten by such a group, or the room in which this meal is eaten.
Soldiers eat their meals in the mess.- 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").
Look how these dogs are allowed to mess the sidewalks!Please don't mess my papers. I've got everything in order now.I had just cleaned up the living room when the children came in and messed it up again.She was annoyed at how the wind had messed up her hair.- synonyms:
- clutter, dirty, disarray, disorder, disorganize, litter, untidy
- antonyms:
- straighten
- similar words:
- jumble, muss, rumple
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| definition 2: |
to ruin or cause problems with; botch; make a muddle of (usu. 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, litter
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| definition 2: |
(slang) to meddle or become involved (usu. fol. by "with" or "in").
Hey, you'd better stop messing in my affairs!Look, I don't want to mess with you two, but you should stop and think about what you're doing.- 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, mess up |
The word mess comes from an early French word that means "an amount of food put out at a meal."
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