Mess

/mɛs/ · noun

Meaning

a thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation.

Definitions by Sense

1. a thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation
2. (colloquial) a large quantity or number
3. (euphemistic) excrement.
4. (figuratively) a person in a state of (especially emotional) turmoil or disarray; an emotional wreck
5. (transitive, often with "up") To make untidy or dirty.
6. (transitive, often with "up") To throw into disorder or to ruin.
7. (intransitive) To interfere.
8. (obsolete) Mass; a church service.

Example Sentences

No, look, I know that the place looks like a bit of a mess but it's actually a very delicate ecosystem. Everything is connected. It's like the rainforest. You change one thing, even the tiniest bit, and the whooole rainforest dies. You don't want the rainforest to die, do ya?

He made a mess of it.

My bedroom is such a mess; I need to tidy up.

My boss dumped a whole mess of projects on my desk today.

She brought back a mess of fish to fix for supper.

Messerschmidts! A whole mess of Messerschmidts!

There was dog mess all along the street.

Did you hear that? It scared the mess out of me.

Synonyms for mess

Antonyms for mess

Related Words

Word Forms

• messes
• messing
• messed

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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