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
As someone who’s trying to clear out space on their bar cart, having a ton of bottles to make one drink isn’t fun and can also just be messy.
—
Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
In recent years, former top officials in NASA’s human-spaceflight program have taken jobs at SpaceX.
In the meantime, though, more SpaceX flights—and more power for Musk—could be messy, or even dangerous.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
It’s beautifully designed, but its hardware still somehow fails to actually take the practical realities of our dirty, messy world into account.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2024
And despite a messy launch disrupted by the election, extreme weather events and a media business in freefall, broadcast has reason to feel a little pep in its step.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for messy 
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Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
In recent years, former top officials in NASA’s human-spaceflight program have taken jobs at SpaceX.
In the meantime, though, more SpaceX flights—and more power for Musk—could be messy, or even dangerous.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
It’s beautifully designed, but its hardware still somehow fails to actually take the practical realities of our dirty, messy world into account.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2024
And despite a messy launch disrupted by the election, extreme weather events and a media business in freefall, broadcast has reason to feel a little pep in its step.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 Oct. 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 28 Nov. 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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