mess

1 of 2

noun

ˈmes 

1

: a quantity of food:

a

archaic : food set on a table at one time

b

: a prepared dish of soft food

also : a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together

c

: enough food of a specified kind for a dish or a meal

picked a mess of peas for dinner

2

a

: a group of persons who regularly take their meals together

every officer with a unit … is obliged to belong to a mess

—S. G. Maurice

also : a meal so taken

b

: a place where meals are regularly served to a group : mess hall

The soldiers marched to the mess for breakfast.

3

a

: a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition

your room is in a mess

b

: one that is disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant usually because of blundering, laxity, or misconduct

[the movie] is a mess, as sloppy in concept as it is in execution

—Judith Crist

4

: a large quantity or number

They're in a mess of trouble.

mess

2 of 2

verb

messed; messing; messes

transitive verb

1

: to provide with meals at a mess

2

a

: to make dirty or untidy : disarrange

—often used with up

don't mess up your room

b

: to mix up : bungle

—often used with up

really messed up my life

3

: to interfere with

—often used with up

magnetic storms that mess up communications

—Time

4

: to rough up : manhandle

—often used with up

mess him up good so he won't cheat us again

intransitive verb

1

: to take meals with a mess

2

: to make a mess

3

a

: putter, trifle

children like to mess around with paints

b

: to handle or play with something especially carelessly

don't mess with my camera

—often used with around

c

: to take an active interest in something or someone

messing around with new video techniques

also : interfere, meddle

messing in other people's affairs

you'd better not mess with me

4

: to become confused or make an error

—usually used with up

Synonyms

Noun

• chance-medley
• chaos
• confusion
• disarrangement
• disarray
• dishevelment
• disorder
• disorderedness
• disorderliness
• disorganization
• free-for-all
• havoc
• heck
• hell
• jumble
• mare's nest
• messiness
• misorder
• muddle
• muss
• shambles
• snake pit
• tumble
• welter

Verb

• butt in
• interfere
• interlope
• intermeddle
• intrude
• meddle
• muck (about or around)
• nose
• obtrude
• poke
• pry
• snoop

Examples of mess in a Sentence

Noun

He was a mess after gardening all day.

My hair is a mess.

Well, that's another fine mess you've gotten me into!

How do we get ourselves into these messes?

The school system is a mess.

Things were a real mess for a while after she retired.

My life is a complete mess.

She was a real mess for a while after her divorce.

He was a mess during his daughter's wedding ceremony.

Verb

please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To avoid making a big glittery mess, use a tablespoon to add 1-2 scoops of glitter to the water and glycerin mixture, and stir gently. —Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024

The entries, in particular, were a mess without him. —Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024

Verb

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key quietly has turned a Yellow Jackets mess back into a solid program. —Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024

Best Walmart Black Friday Cordless Vacuum Deals Cordless vacuums can make cleaning up small, everyday messes a simple task. —Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English mes, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin missus course at a meal, from missus, past participle of mittere to put, from Latin, to send — more at smite

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing mess

• a mess of pottage
• hot mess
• make a mess of
• mess about
• mess about with (something)
• mess around
• mess around with (something)
• mess hall
• mess jacket
• mess kit
• mess over
• mess (something or someone) up
• mess up
• mess with
• mess with someone's mind/head

Video

Hot Mess

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

Kids Definition

mess

1 of 2 noun

ˈmes 

1

a

: a quantity of food

b

: a dish of soft food

a mess of porridge

2

a

: a group of people who regularly eat together

also : the meal they eat

b

: a place where meals are regularly served to a group : mess hall

3

: a state or condition of confusion, disorder, or unpleasantness

left things in a mess

also : one that is in such a state or condition

his life was a mess

4

: a large quantity or number

a mess of problems

mess

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to supply with meals

b

: to take meals with a mess

2

a

: to make dirty or untidy : disarrange

don't mess up your room

b

: to do incorrectly

messed up the job

c

: to become confused or make an error

tried again and messed up again

3

: to interfere with

the storm messed up our plans

4

a

: to work without a serious goal : putter

likes to mess around with paints

b

: to handle or play with something especially carelessly

don't mess with the camera

c

: interfere sense 2, meddle

don't mess with me

5

: to rough up : manhandle