messy

adjective

(of a place, situation, person, etc) In a disorderly state; chaotic; disorderly.

(of a person) Prone to causing mess.

(of a situation) Difficult or unpleasant to deal with.

(of a person) Argumentative, spreading spreading gossip, talking behind someone's back

Roots

missusmess- · Latin · a portion of food, course of a meal -ig-y · Old English · characterized by

Synonyms for messy

mussyadj untidyadj sloppyadj disheveledadj unkemptadj slovenlyadj dirtyadj slatternlyadj haphazardadj scragglyadj

Synonyms & related words for messy

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of messy — including mussy, untidy, sloppy, disheveled, unkempt, slovenly. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to messy

Explore words related to messy — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include mussiness, messiness, mess, disarrayed, cluttered, chaotic, disorganized, shambolic. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for messy

Common synonyms for messy include mussy, untidy, sloppy, disheveled, unkempt, slovenly, dirty, slatternly — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does messy come from?

The word messy breaks down into 2 roots of Latin and Old English origin: mess, from Latin missus (“a portion of food, course of a meal”); and -y, from Old English -ig (“characterized by”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.