mess
gb/mˈɛs/ us/mˈɛs/
A2
English
~ 8100
rendetlenség, felfordulás, káosz, zűrzavar, szét van esve, leharcolt, roncs, rendetlenséget csinál, felforgat, összekoszol, hülyéskedik, bohóckodik, katonai étkezde, egy csomó, egy rakás, rengeteg
NOUN
A2
1
rendetlenség
B1
felfordulás
B2
Usage pattern:
be in a mess
The kids left the living room in a complete mess after the party.
A gyerekek a buli után teljes felfordulást hagytak a nappaliban.
Your desk is such a mess that I can’t find the report.
Akkora rendetlenség van az íróasztalodon, hogy nem találom a jelentést.
I made a mess in the kitchen while cooking dinner.
Please clean up this mess on the floor before someone slips.
His paint supplies were all in a mess on the table.
Learner examples
My room is a mess after the weekend.
A hétvége után rendetlenség van a szobámban.
There is a big mess on the kitchen floor.
Nagy rendetlenség van a konyhapadlón.
The children made a mess with the toys.
She cleaned up the mess before her parents came home.
Don’t leave your clothes in a mess on the bed.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *do a mess* instead of *make a mess*. The usual collocation is *make a mess*: "The kids made a mess", not "did a mess".
Meaning
dirty or untidy state
Collocations
make a mess
|in a mess
|clean up the mess
|clear up the mess
|leave a mess
|a real mess
Synonyms
untidiness (More formal and only about things not being neat, without the strong negative tone that 'mess' can have.)
|
disorder (Slightly more formal and can sound more serious or systematic than 'mess'.)
Antonyms
neatness (Emphasizes being clean and carefully arranged, the opposite of a mess.)
|
order (Focuses on things being arranged in a clear, organized way.)
Themes
daily life
|home
|daily_life
|housing
Definition
A dirty or very untidy state of a place or thing.
A condition in which a place or thing is dirty, disordered, or not neatly arranged.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
be in a mess
After the merger, the company’s finances were a complete mess.
A fúzió után a vállalat pénzügyei teljes káoszban voltak.
My schedule is such a mess that I double-booked three meetings.
Akkora káosz van az időbeosztásomban, hogy három megbeszélést is egymásra szerveztem.
The new law has created a legal mess for small businesses.
We need a plan to get out of this mess as soon as possible.
The project turned into a huge mess because no one was in charge.
Learner examples
His life was a mess after he lost his job.
Miután elveszítette az állását, káosz lett az élete.
The city’s traffic is a big mess every morning.
A városban minden reggel teljes káosz a forgalom.
Our plan was a mess from the beginning.
They are trying to fix the mess with the computer system.
She helped me sort out the mess with my bank account.
Meaning
confusing or problematic situation
Collocations
get into a mess
|in a financial mess
|sort out the mess
|a legal mess
|a political mess
|a whole mess of problems
Synonyms
disaster (Stronger and more dramatic than 'mess', suggests very serious negative results.)
|
chaos (Focuses on complete lack of order, not always on long-term problems.)
Antonyms
order (Emphasizes a situation being well-organized and under control.)
|
solution (Represents the state after a mess has been fixed or avoided.)
Themes
daily life
|work
|problems
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very bad or confused situation with many problems.
A situation that is very confused, badly organized, or full of serious problems.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
be a mess
I’ve been such a mess since the breakup.
A szakítás óta teljesen szét vagyok esve.
You look a mess—did you sleep at all last night?
Teljesen leharcoltnak nézel ki — aludtál egyáltalán az éjjel?
After the accident, he was an emotional mess for months.
She’s a mess right now and needs some time alone.
I was a complete mess before therapy helped me.
Learner examples
I was a mess after the exam.
Teljesen szét voltam esve a vizsga után.
He is a mess because he works too much.
Teljesen szét van esve, mert túl sokat dolgozik.
She looks a mess when she does not sleep.
After the bad news, we were all a mess.
I feel like a mess when I am very stressed.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget the article and say *I am mess* instead of *I am a mess*. When you talk about a person in this way, you normally use *a mess* with an article.
Meaning
very disorganized or upset person
Collocations
be a mess
|look a mess
|an emotional mess
|a complete mess
|a total mess inside
Synonyms
wreck (Informal; often focuses on emotional or physical damage, sometimes stronger than 'mess'.)
|
basket case (Informal; can sound harsh or joking, often about someone who is very nervous or not coping.)
Antonyms
together (Informal adjective meaning emotionally stable and organized, the opposite of being a mess.)
|
composed (More formal; focuses on someone being calm and in control of their feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
Definition
A person who looks very untidy or feels very upset and cannot manage life well.
A person who is very untidy, disorganized, or emotionally upset and not coping well.
VERB
B1
4
Usage pattern:
to mess [something] up
The children messed the living room up with toys and blankets.
A gyerekek játékokkal és takarókkal felforgatták a nappalit.
Please don’t mess up the kitchen; I just cleaned it.
Kérlek, ne csinálj rendetlenséget a konyhában; most takarítottam ki.
The wind messed her hair so badly that she had to brush it again.
Someone has messed up my desk while I was out.
He always messes the place up when he cooks.
Learner examples
Don’t mess up my room, please.
Kérlek, ne csinálj rendetlenséget a szobámban.
The dog messed up the garden.
A kutya felforgatta a kertet.
The kids messed the floor with paint.
He messed up the table with food.
The rain messed up my clothes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *make mess up* instead of *mess up* or *make a mess*. Use either *mess up [something]* (verb) or *make a mess* (noun), but do not mix them.
Meaning
make something dirty or untidy
Collocations
mess up the room
|mess up the kitchen
|mess your hair up
|kids messing everything up
|don’t mess it up
Synonyms
dirty (Focuses only on making something not clean, not on being disorganized.)
|
mess up (More common as a phrasal verb; strongly associated with making things untidy or spoiled.)
Antonyms
tidy (Means to make something neat and ordered, the opposite action of making a mess.)
|
clean (Focuses on removing dirt rather than disorder.)
Themes
daily life
|home
|daily_life
|housing
Definition
To make a place or thing dirty or very untidy.
To cause a place or thing to become dirty, disordered, or not neatly arranged.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
5
hülyéskedik
B1
bohóckodik
B2
Usage pattern:
to mess around [doing something]
Stop messing around and finish your homework.
Hagyd abba a hülyéskedést, és fejezd be a házi feladatodat.
They spent the afternoon just messing around in the park.
A délutánt azzal töltötték, hogy csak hülyéskedtek a parkban.
He was messing about in class and got into trouble.
We don’t have time to mess around; the deadline is tomorrow.
She likes to mess around with her guitar when she’s bored.
Learner examples
The students were messing around in the hallway.
A diákok a folyosón hülyéskedtek.
Don’t mess around; we are late.
Ne hülyéskedj; késésben vagyunk.
He always messes around at work.
They just mess around on their phones in class.
We were messing around and forgot the time.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *mess* (verb) with *miss* and say *stop missing around*. The correct phrase is *stop messing around*.
Meaning
behave in a silly or idle way
Collocations
stop messing around
|mess around all day
|mess around with friends
|just messing about
|messing instead of working
Synonyms
goof off (Informal; common in US English; strongly focuses on avoiding work.)
|
play around (Similar meaning but can sound a bit softer or more playful than 'mess around'.)
Antonyms
focus (Means to give full attention to a task, the opposite of wasting time.)
|
work (Highlights doing your job or duties instead of behaving in a silly way.)
Themes
daily life
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To play or act silly and not do your real work or task.
To behave in a silly, playful, or not serious way, often instead of doing what you are supposed to do.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
6
Usage pattern:
eat in the mess
The officers gathered in the mess for dinner.
A tisztek vacsorára a tiszti étkezőben gyűltek össze.
Meals are served in the main mess at set times.
Az ételeket a fő étkezdében szolgálják fel meghatározott időpontokban.
After training, everyone headed to the mess hall.
The sergeants’ mess has its own bar and lounge area.
Learner examples
The soldiers eat in the mess every day.
A katonák mindennap a katonai étkezdében esznek.
We met in the officers’ mess for lunch.
A tiszti étkezőben találkoztunk ebédre.
They walked from the barracks to the mess hall.
Dinner starts at six o’clock in the mess.
Meaning
military dining and social room
Collocations
officers' mess
|sergeants' mess
|the mess hall
|dine in the mess
|mess dinner
Synonyms
dining hall (More general; not limited to the military context.)
Antonyms
barracks (Refers to where soldiers sleep and live, not where they eat.)
Themes
military
|food
|work
|politics
Definition
A special place in the army where soldiers or officers eat and spend free time together.
A room or building in the armed forces where soldiers or officers eat and often socialize.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
7
Usage pattern:
a mess of [something]
He’s in a mess of trouble after lying to the police.
Rengeteg bajba került, miután hazudott a rendőrségnek.
We found a whole mess of errors in the report.
Egy egész rakás hibát találtunk a jelentésben.
The new manager has inherited a mess of unresolved complaints.
Learner examples
She has a mess of work to do.
Egy csomó munkát kell még elvégeznie.
They got into a mess of trouble at school.
Rengeteg bajba kerültek az iskolában.
There is a mess of problems with this plan.
We found a mess of mistakes in the test.
He created a mess of extra work for us.
Meaning
large amount of something, often problems
Collocations
a mess of trouble
|a whole mess of problems
|a mess of paperwork
|a big mess of issues
Synonyms
a load of (Informal; similar meaning of a large amount, not limited to negative things.)
|
a bunch of (Informal; very common in speech; can sound a bit lighter or less serious.)
Antonyms
a bit of (Suggests a small amount, the opposite of a large amount.)
Themes
daily life
|problems
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
A lot of something, often many problems or bad things.
A large amount or number of something, especially of problems or difficulties.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mess
IPA
GB/mˈɛs/
US/mˈɛs/
Syllables & stress
mess (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mess)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mess
- Plural: mess, messes
Verb
- Base: mess
- 3rd Person Singular: messes
- Present Participle: messing
- Past: messed
Word family
Expressions
be a mess
1/bˈi ə mˈɛs/
fixed phrase
informal
be very untidy or upset
To be very untidy or to feel very upset and not able to cope well.
Examples
- I was a mess after the exam results.
- You’re a mess—go home and get some rest.
clean up the mess
1/klˈin ˈʌp ðə mˈɛs/
fixed phrase
remove disorder or fix problems
To make a place clean and tidy again, or to fix problems that someone or something caused.
Examples
- Who’s going to clean up the mess after the meeting?
- The new manager was hired to clean up the mess left by the last one.
in a mess
1/ˈɪn ə mˈɛs/
fixed phrase
in a disorganized or bad state
To be in a dirty, disorganized, or very bad situation.
Examples
- The house is in a mess after the party.
- Our finances are in a real mess right now.
make a mess of
1/mˈeɪk ə mˈɛs əv/
idiom
informal
do something very badly
To do something in a very bad way so that it fails or causes many problems.
Examples
- He made a mess of the presentation and forgot half his lines.
- They made a mess of the negotiations and lost the contract.
mess hall
1/mˈɛs hˈɔl/
fixed phrase
technical
military dining hall
A big room or building where soldiers eat their meals.
Examples
- Breakfast is served in the mess hall at six a.m.
- They walked from the barracks to the mess hall together.
mess up
1/mˈɛs ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
do something badly or spoil it
To do something badly or incorrectly and cause a problem or failure.
Examples
- I really messed up the interview by arriving late.
- The kids messed up the living room again.
- Don’t mess up this chance; it might not come again.
- Please don’t mess up the kitchen; I just cleaned it.
- The update messed up my phone and now it won’t start.
mess up someone’s head
1/mˈɛs ˈʌp sˈʌmwˌʌnz hˈɛd/
idiom
informal
disturb or confuse someone mentally
To make someone feel very confused, sad, or mentally hurt.
Examples
- Losing both parents so young really messed up his head.
- That toxic relationship messed up her head for years.
mess with
1/mˈɛs wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
informal
interfere with or bother
To touch or change something you should not, or to act in a way that bothers or threatens someone.
Examples
- Don’t mess with my computer settings.
- You don’t want to mess with her when she’s angry.
hot mess
1/hˈɑt mˈɛs/
idiom
informal
Chaotic but noticeable person/situation
A very messy or confused person or situation, sometimes still interesting or attractive.
Examples
- After the party, the house was a complete hot mess.
- He's such a hot mess, but everyone loves him.
hot mess
2/hˈɑt mˈɛs/
idiom
slang
disorganized but somehow appealing person or thing
A person or thing that is very chaotic or has many problems, but can still be interesting or attractive.
Examples
- By Monday morning I’m always a hot mess.
- The event was a hot mess, but everyone had fun.
mess around
1/mˈɛs ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
behave in a silly or idle way
To play and act silly and not do your real work or task.
Examples
- Stop messing around and start working!
- Stop messing around and help me clean.
- They spent the afternoon just messing around in the park.
- We just messed around in the park all afternoon instead of studying.