messymess‧y /ˈmesi/ ●●● S3 adjective (comparative messier, superlative messiest) 
Examples
a messy room Sorry the place is so messy, I haven’t had time to clear up.2informal a messy situation is complicated and unpleasant to deal with: He’s just been through a particularly messy divorce.3making someone or something dirty or untidy: messy jobs like plumbing, plastering, and tiling—messily adverb—messiness noun [uncountable]
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Does my hair look messy?
- He only cleans up his room when it gets really messy.
- Mom yells if my room is messy.
- My desk isn't always this messy - I've been working on a major project.
- She felt uncomfortable in such a messy house.
- Their three-cheese pizza is excellent, but messy to eat.
- Beyond the question of weight loss, olestra raises some messy health issues.
- But performance is poor, the steering light and lifeless, ergonomics messy and the gearbox jerky.
- For a messy person, Alvin had a wonderful planning mind.
- Killing women was a messy business, so officials worked out a charade.
- Parliamentary answers intended to explain the phenomenon left a messy impression.
- Quarrels were generally messy, involving hot tempers, grief, unpredictable actions, passion, outrage, betrayal.
- The Pentagon and its computers keep coming up with cleaner models of warfare, while the world gets messier.
- Their evidence was a bit messy, but it breathed new life into the debate.
THESAURUSplace► untidy
Collocations British English not tidy – used especially when things have not been put back in their correct place: · an untidy bedroom· an untidy desk· The house was cramped and untidy.
► messy untidy or dirty. American people use this word instead of untidy. British people use this word, but it sounds less formal than untidy: · a messy kitchen· You’ve made the table all messy.
► be a mess (also be in a mess British English) informal to be very untidy or dirty: · The whole house is in a mess, but I didn’t have time to clean it up.· Sorry everything’s such a mess.
► cluttered untidy because there are too many things in a small space: · She gazed around the cluttered kitchen.· The office was cluttered with books.· Her desk was too cluttered.
► unkempt untidy and not well-looked after – used about gardens or land: · unkempt lawns· They walked into a wild and unkempt garden.· an unkempt plot in the cemetery
► be a pigsty/pit informal used when saying that a place is very untidy and dirty, and someone should clean it: · This place is a pigsty! Clean it up.· I don’t know how you can stand living in a pigsty like this.· My room’s a total pit, but I’m too lazy to clean it.
person► untidy British English an untidy person does not do things in a neat way, for example they leave things lying around instead of putting them back in the correct place. Also used about someone’s appearance, when they do not comb their hair, take care of their clothes etc: · She was always very untidy – her clothes lay on the floor where she had dropped them.· He had obviously been sleeping; his hair was untidy and his chin unshaven.
► messy untidy or dirty. American people use this word instead of untidy. British people use this word, but it sounds less formal than untidy: · You’ve made my hair all messy.· a messy eater
► scruffy British English wearing old and untidy clothes: · My parents think I look scruffy in these jeans, but I like them.· She’s wearing that scruffy old sweater again.
► slovenly especially written untidy and lazy: · The servants were old and slovenly.· his slovenly appearance· The work was done in a slow, slovenly way.
► bedraggled used when someone looks untidy because they have got wet or dirty: · A rather bedraggled crowd waited outside in the pouring rain.· The children walked along the path, looking miserable and bedraggled.
► dishevelled British English, disheveled American English if someone’s hair or clothes look dishevelled, they look untidy, for example because they have just been in bed or in a windy place: · Her hair was uncombed and her clothes were dishevelled.· a dishevelled old man· The singer was photographed looking ill and dishevelled.
► unkempt especially written if someone has unkempt hair or an unkempt appearance, they look untidy and have not been taking care of the way they look: · a rough-looking youth with long black unkempt hair· The man looked tired and unkempt.
► slob noun [countable] informal someone who is extremely untidy but does not seem to care that they are: · Jo’s such a slob – how can you live like that?· If you keep dressing like a slob, no one’s ever going to ask you for a date.
place► untidy British English not tidy – used especially when things have not been put back in their correct place: · an untidy bedroom· an untidy desk· The house was cramped and untidy.
► messy untidy or dirty. American people use this word instead of untidy. British people use this word, but it sounds less formal than untidy: · a messy kitchen· You’ve made the table all messy.
► be a mess (also be in a mess British English) informal to be very untidy or dirty: · The whole house is in a mess, but I didn’t have time to clean it up.· Sorry everything’s such a mess.
► cluttered untidy because there are too many things in a small space: · She gazed around the cluttered kitchen.· The office was cluttered with books.· Her desk was too cluttered.
► unkempt untidy and not well-looked after – used about gardens or land: · unkempt lawns· They walked into a wild and unkempt garden.· an unkempt plot in the cemetery
► be a pigsty/pit informal used when saying that a place is very untidy and dirty, and someone should clean it: · This place is a pigsty! Clean it up.· I don’t know how you can stand living in a pigsty like this.· My room’s a total pit, but I’m too lazy to clean it.
person► untidy British English an untidy person does not do things in a neat way, for example they leave things lying around instead of putting them back in the correct place. Also used about someone’s appearance, when they do not comb their hair, take care of their clothes etc: · She was always very untidy – her clothes lay on the floor where she had dropped them.· He had obviously been sleeping; his hair was untidy and his chin unshaven.
► messy untidy or dirty. American people use this word instead of untidy. British people use this word, but it sounds less formal than untidy: · You’ve made my hair all messy.· a messy eater
► scruffy British English wearing old and untidy clothes: · My parents think I look scruffy in these jeans, but I like them.· She’s wearing that scruffy old sweater again.
► slovenly especially written untidy and lazy: · The servants were old and slovenly.· his slovenly appearance· The work was done in a slow, slovenly way.
► bedraggled used when someone looks untidy because they have got wet or dirty: · A rather bedraggled crowd waited outside in the pouring rain.· The children walked along the path, looking miserable and bedraggled.
► dishevelled British English, disheveled American English if someone’s hair or clothes look dishevelled, they look untidy, for example because they have just been in bed or in a windy place: · Her hair was uncombed and her clothes were dishevelled.· a dishevelled old man· The singer was photographed looking ill and dishevelled.
► unkempt especially written if someone has unkempt hair or an unkempt appearance, they look untidy and have not been taking care of the way they look: · a rough-looking youth with long black unkempt hair· The man looked tired and unkempt.
► slob noun [countable] informal someone who is extremely untidy but does not seem to care that they are: · Jo’s such a slob – how can you live like that?· If you keep dressing like a slob, no one’s ever going to ask you for a date.
Longman Language Activatorplace/room► messy also untidy British if a place is messy or untidy , things have been left carelessly in different parts of it instead of being neatly arranged: · She felt uncomfortable in such a messy house.· He only cleans up his room when it gets really messy.· My desk isn't always this messy - I've been working on a major project.· Jan found the professor in a small, untidy office.· These drawers are so untidy - I can never find what I'm looking for.
► be a mess also be in a mess British informal if a place is a mess or is in a mess , it is very untidy and dirty: · Please sit down. Sorry everything's such a mess.· My basement is a complete mess and has been for years.· The whole house is in a mess, but I didn't have time to clean it up.
► cluttered untidy because there are too many things in a small space: · He works in a cluttered studio that looks like a mechanic's garage.· The trailer was cluttered and cramped, with barely enough room to turn around.cluttered with: · The room was tiny, its walls cluttered with paintings and old photographs.
► dump informal a place that is untidy and dirty: · The Ewells' place is a real dump.· Why don't you do something about your room - it's a dump.
► pigsty also pit American informal an untidy and very dirty place: · This place is a pigsty! Clean it up.· I don't know how you can stand living in a pigsty like this.· My room's a total pit, but I'm too lazy to clean it.
► tip British informal a very untidy place: · Your room's an absolute tip!· It was a very nice house until they moved in and turned it into a tip.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a messy divorce
1dirty or untidy: (=complicated and unpleasant to deal with)· She wanted to avoid a messy divorce .
► a messy eater (=someone who drops food and makes a mess when they eat)· He's a very messy eater – he leaves crumbs all over the floor.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► business· If they did, the whole messy business of recycling would be a great deal easier.· Killing women was a messy business, so officials worked out a charade.· I thought for a start it was because moving the dead body might have been a very messy business.· Preseason hype, extrapolating last year into this year, tends to be a messy business.· Goldmining is, by nature, a messy business.· Neither party involved themselves in the messy business of seeking votes in the province, democracy wasn't mentioned.· Divorce can be a messy business.
a messy room Sorry the place is so messy, I haven’t had time to clear up.2informal a messy situation is complicated and unpleasant to deal with: He’s just been through a particularly messy divorce.3making someone or something dirty or untidy: messy jobs like plumbing, plastering, and tiling—messily adverb—messiness noun [uncountable]