messy
Americanadjective
-
characterized by a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition.
a messy room.
-
causing a mess.
a messy recipe; messy work.
-
embarrassing, difficult, or unpleasant.
a messy political situation.
-
characterized by moral or psychological confusion.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- messily adverb
- messiness noun
Etymology
Origin of messy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it takes intellectual humility, curiosity and bravery to correct those mistakes, and to stray from the herd toward a messy and complicated truth.
The refunds process to importers may not be messy.
From Barron's
The group had a messy 2025: revenue rose as the chains continued to expand, but traffic softened, same-store sales became choppy as consumers dined out less.
From Barron's
“It’s a messy business, dear, even if you know how, and I wouldn’t want you to get your fingers caught.”
From Literature
Luxury brands have been understandably reluctant to get involved with the messy business of selling secondhand goods.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
