adjective
messy
Untidy or complicated and difficult to deal with.
My desk is messy, with papers scattered across its surface.
Etymology
Messy adds -y to mess, a word whose disorder sense grew from mixed or unappealing material. The adjective applies that disorder both to physical untidiness and to difficult situations.
More examples
- Finger painting is fun but messy.
- Their divorce became messy when they argued over the house.
- Changing the rules halfway through makes the situation even messier.
Forms
messy · messier · messiest
mess noun — A state of disorder or confusion.
messiness noun — The quality of being untidy or disorganized.
Similar words
- untidy
- Emphasizes a lack of neatness rather than difficult complications.
- disorganized
- Emphasizes poor arrangement or planning rather than dirt.
- complicated
- Emphasizes tangled details or difficulties rather than physical untidiness.