mess
dirty or untidy state
A dirty or very untidy state of a place or thing.
be in a mess
- The kids left the living room in a complete mess after the party.
- Your desk is such a mess that I can’t find the report.
- 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.
- My room is a mess after the weekend.
- There is a big mess on the kitchen floor.
- 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.
confusing or problematic situation
A very bad or confused situation with many problems.
be in a mess
- After the merger, the company’s finances were a complete mess.
- My schedule is such a mess that I double-booked three meetings.
- 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.
- His life was a mess after he lost his job.
- The city’s traffic is a big mess every morning.
- 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.
very disorganized or upset person
A person who looks very untidy or feels very upset and cannot manage life well.
be a mess
- I’ve been such a mess since the breakup.
- You look a mess—did you sleep at all last night?
- 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.
- I was a mess after the exam.
- He is a mess because he works too much.
- 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.
make something dirty or untidy
To make a place or thing dirty or very untidy.
to mess [something] up
- The children messed the living room up with toys and blankets.
- Please don’t mess up the kitchen; I just cleaned it.
- 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.
- Don’t mess up my room, please.
- The dog messed up the garden.
- The kids messed the floor with paint.
- He messed up the table with food.
- The rain messed up my clothes.
behave in a silly or idle way
To play or act silly and not do your real work or task.
to mess around [doing something]
- Stop messing around and finish your homework.
- They spent the afternoon just messing around in the park.
- 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.
- The students were messing around in the hallway.
- Don’t mess around; we are late.
- He always messes around at work.
- They just mess around on their phones in class.
- We were messing around and forgot the time.
military dining and social room
A special place in the army where soldiers or officers eat and spend free time together.
eat in the mess
- The officers gathered in the mess for dinner.
- Meals are served in the main mess at set times.
- After training, everyone headed to the mess hall.
- The sergeants’ mess has its own bar and lounge area.
- The soldiers eat in the mess every day.
- We met in the officers’ mess for lunch.
- They walked from the barracks to the mess hall.
- Dinner starts at six o’clock in the mess.
large amount of something, often problems
A lot of something, often many problems or bad things.
a mess of [something]
- He’s in a mess of trouble after lying to the police.
- We found a whole mess of errors in the report.
- The new manager has inherited a mess of unresolved complaints.
- She has a mess of work to do.
- They got into a mess of trouble at school.
- 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.
- Base: mess
- Plural: mess, messes
- Base: mess
- 3rd Person Singular: messes
- Present Participle: messing
- Past: messed
be a mess
1be very untidy or upset
To be very untidy or to feel very upset and not able to cope well.
- I was a mess after the exam results.
- You’re a mess—go home and get some rest.
clean up the mess
1remove disorder or fix problems
To make a place clean and tidy again, or to fix problems that someone or something caused.
- 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
1in a disorganized or bad state
To be in a dirty, disorganized, or very bad situation.
- The house is in a mess after the party.
- Our finances are in a real mess right now.
make a mess of
1do something very badly
To do something in a very bad way so that it fails or causes many problems.
- 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
1military dining hall
A big room or building where soldiers eat their meals.
- Breakfast is served in the mess hall at six a.m.
- They walked from the barracks to the mess hall together.
mess up
1do something badly or spoil it
To do something badly or incorrectly and cause a problem or failure.
- 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
1disturb or confuse someone mentally
To make someone feel very confused, sad, or mentally hurt.
- Losing both parents so young really messed up his head.
- That toxic relationship messed up her head for years.
mess with
1interfere with or bother
To touch or change something you should not, or to act in a way that bothers or threatens someone.
- Don’t mess with my computer settings.
- You don’t want to mess with her when she’s angry.
hot mess
1Chaotic but noticeable person/situation
A very messy or confused person or situation, sometimes still interesting or attractive.
- After the party, the house was a complete hot mess.
- He's such a hot mess, but everyone loves him.
hot mess
2disorganized 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.
- By Monday morning I’m always a hot mess.
- The event was a hot mess, but everyone had fun.
mess around
1behave in a silly or idle way
To play and act silly and not do your real work or task.
- 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.