Definition of mess - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
disorderstate of disorder or confusion
- The room was in a complete mess after the party.
2.
spillliquid or sticky substance accidentally dropped
- There was a mess of paint on the floor.
3.
diningUK group of people eating togetherUK
- The soldiers gathered in the mess for dinner.
4.
- After the breakup, she was a mess.
5.
foodUK dessert of fruit and creamUK
- We had a delicious mess for dessert.
6.
military diningTECH. building where military personnel eatTECH.
- The mess was located near the barracks.
7.
animalsTECH. group of iguanasTECH.
- A mess of iguanas basked in the sun.
Verb
1.
untidytr. make something untidy or dirtytr.
- He tends to mess his room every weekend.
2.
- The storm will mess the garden.
3.
- Don't mess with their plans.
Images of mess

liquid or sticky substance accidentally dropped 
dessert of fruit and cream 
building where military personnel eat
Expressions with mess
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
create disorder or untidiness in something
He managed to mess up the entire room.
engage in idle activities without purpose
They like to mess around on weekends.
very big and complicated problem or situation
The project turned into a royal mess after the budget cuts.
problematic situation with ironic or sarcastic tone
You've gotten us into a fine mess this time!
disorganized or untidy state
Her room was in a mess after the party.
create disorder or untidiness
The kids always make a mess in the living room.
cause problems or confusion by making mistakes
He always mess things up when he tries to help.
become involved in a difficult situation
He got into a mess with his taxes.
expression of disapproval about disorder
What a mess you've made of the project.
avoid altering a winning formula
The team is performing great; don't mess with success.
situation in extreme disarray
The party turned into a hot mess quickly.
in a very bad or confusing situation
The kitchen is in a fine mess after the party.
in a very difficult or disorganized situation
After the storm, we were in a nice mess.
in a state of complete disorder or confusion
After the party, the house was in a real mess.
behave in a playful or silly way
The kids love to mess about in the garden.
interfere with something or someone
She warned him not to mess about with her plans.
treat someone unfairly by wasting their time or changing plans
Stop messing me about and tell me the truth!
disrespect or insult someone
He got angry when they messed with him.
manipulate someone's thoughts or emotions
She likes to mess with his head for fun.
situation that is very disorganized or full of problems
This is a nice mess you've gotten us into!
complicated or problematic situation
The project turned into a right mess quickly.
very disorganized or chaotic situation
After the party, the house was a bloody mess.
difficult or problematic situation
The project turned into a hell of a mess quickly.
apologize for the untidiness of a place
Please excuse the mess, we just moved in.
Origin of mess
Middle English, mes (portion of food)
Terms with mess included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
tidying task
remove dirt and mess from one's room
cleaning
make an area or space tidy by removing dirt or mess
mess
state of being untidy or unorganized
mess
collection of things lying about in an untidy state
mess
make a place messy by filling it with unnecessary things
mess
confused collection of different things mixed together
cleanliness
maintain a place free from dirt or mess
tidiness
neatly and without leaving any mess
cleaning
removing dirt or mess from a place
mess
messy or chaotic pile of items
mess
make a place messy or dirty
epic mess
complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way
mistake
make a mess or botch something
errors
do something badly, causing a mess or failure
mess around
tamper with something carelessly
mistake
make a mess of or ruin something
mess
unappealing mixture or disorderly situation
make a mistake
mess up something
confusion
confuse or make a mess of something
cleanliness
tidy up one's own mess or belongings
retail
announcement for staff to clean a mess
tidy
without unnecessary items or mess
cleanliness
an extremely clean floor showing no dirt or mess
falling object
hit a surface and make a splattering sound or mess
Examples of mess in a sentence
The paperwork was in such a mess on his desk. The kitchen was a mess after the party. She accidentally created a mess with the glue. The mess was lively with laughter and chatter. They organized a mess for the community event. He was a mess after losing his job.
Her emotions were a mess during the trial. The chef prepared a berry mess for dessert. We enjoyed a strawberry mess after dinner. The soldiers gathered in the mess for dinner. The mess was renovated to accommodate more troops. A mess of iguanas lounged on the rocks. The zookeeper observed a mess of iguanas in the enclosure. Don't mess the kitchen after I've cleaned it. The kids love to mess the living room with their toys. Don't mess the room before guests arrive. The kids might mess the kitchen while cooking. He tends to mess with things he doesn't understand. They warned him not to mess with the delicate negotiations.
View all translations of mess
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:désordre, salir, ...
- German:Chaos, unordentlich machen, ...
- Italian:caos, sporcare, ...
- Spanish:desorden, desordenar, ...
- Portuguese:bagunça, desarrumar, ...
- Chinese:混乱, 弄乱, ...
- Japanese:めちゃくちゃ, 散らかす, ...
- Arabic:فَوْضَى, عَبَثَ, ...
- Hebrew:בָּלָגָן, לְבַלְגֵּן, ...
- Russian:беспорядок, устраивать беспорядок, ...
- Ukrainian:безлад, розкидати, ...
- Hindi:गड़बड़ी, अस्त-व्यस्त करना, ...

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the