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
The trail from the bay leading to the preserve’s entrance is rough, rocky and messy.
—
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
All of them fled Afghanistan with their families for Pakistan, sometime after the messy withdrawal of the U.S. military in 2021.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Their wedding episode remains one of the most iconic moments in television history; and that romance can be messy and complicated, but completely worth fighting for.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025
Other Big Stories Image Inside the Murdoch family: Our reporters obtained more than 3,000 pages of documents that reveal betrayals, private messages and a messy court battle over the future of the media empire.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for messy 
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Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
All of them fled Afghanistan with their families for Pakistan, sometime after the messy withdrawal of the U.S. military in 2021.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Their wedding episode remains one of the most iconic moments in television history; and that romance can be messy and complicated, but completely worth fighting for.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025
Other Big Stories Image Inside the Murdoch family: Our reporters obtained more than 3,000 pages of documents that reveal betrayals, private messages and a messy court battle over the future of the media empire.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
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 20 Feb. 2025.
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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