Mess — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈmes/

Meaning & Definition of Mess

Mess (noun)

  1. a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition
  2. one that is disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant usually because of blundering, laxity, or misconduct
  3. solid waste from an animal

Mess (verb)

  1. to make dirty or untidy, disarrange —often used with up
  2. to mix up, bungle —often used with up
  3. to interfere with —often used with up

Mess (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state in which everything is out of order

    "the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess"

    similar: chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter
    related: anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, riot, knot, snarl, tangle, labyrinth, maze, web, maelstrom, storm, bollix, clutter, litter, mishmash, shuffle, hodgepodge, medley, miscellany, morass, motley
    opposite: order, orderliness
    near: method, pattern, plan, system

  2. food eaten or prepared for eating at one time

    "a mess of oatmeal"

    similar: chow, feed, meal, menu, refection, repast, table
    related: board, breakfast, buffet, collation, dinner, lunch, luncheon, refreshments, smorgasbord, snack, supper, tea, bite, gulp, morsel, serving, taste, banquet, feast, regale, spread, bake, barbecue, clambake, cookout, fry, fry-up (British), luau, picnic, potluck, roast

  3. something unpleasant to look at

    "the car was a mess after the accident"

    similar: eyesore, fright, hideosity, horror, monstrosity, sight
    related: eye-catcher, blot, smear, smudge, spot, stain
    near: vision

  4. a considerable amount

    "an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing"

    similar: abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, multiplicity, myriad, oodles, pack, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, stack, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth, yard, all kinds (of), quite a bit
    related: epidemic, plague, rash, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, overflow, army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mob, multitude, press, score, sea, swarm, throng, gazillion, jillion, kazillion, million, thousands, trillion, zillion
    opposite: ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste, touch, trace
    near: atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop, morsel, shot, piece, portion, section, absence, dearth, famine, lack, paucity, poverty, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want, deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, meagerness, scantiness, scantness, skimpiness

Mess (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to interest oneself in what is not one's concern

    "please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate"

    similar: butt in, interfere, interlope, intermeddle, intrude, meddle, muck (about or around), nose, obtrude, poke, pry, snoop
    related: intercede, interpose, intervene, barge (in), chisel (in), encroach, infringe, invade, trespass, fiddle, fool, monkey, play, tamper
    near: avoid, eschew, shun, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

Related Entry: Mess (up) (verb)

Mess (up) is a different word from Mess. The synonyms below are for mess (up), not for mess.

  1. to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way

    "messed up the drawing and had to start over"

    similar: blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, botch, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, muck up, muff, murder, screw up
    related: blunder, gum (up), muddle, piffle, blemish, blight, damage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, mutilate, ruin, spoil, vitiate, destroy, wreck, mishandle, mismanage
    near: ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy, doctor, fix, patch, recondition, renovate, repair, revamp

  2. to undo the proper order or arrangement of

    "a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight"

    similar: confuse, derange, disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, hash, jumble, mix (up), muddle, muss, rumple, scramble, shuffle, tousle, tumble, upset
    related: embroil, entangle, snarl, tangle, agitate, perturb, stir (up), unsettle, clutter
    opposite: arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal, order, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up), tidy
    near: align, line, line up, queue, classify, codify, methodize, systematize, systemize, adjust, fix, groom, make up, spruce (up), unscramble

  3. to make a mistake

    "if anyone messes up even once while we're recording, we have to start all over again"

    similar: blunder, boob (British), err, flub, fluff, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, screw up, slip up, stumble, trip, drop the ball, lay an egg
    related: nod, bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, foozle, mangle, mishandle, muff, murder, miscalculate, misconceive, miscount, miscue, misdeem, misgauge, misjudge, mistake, misconstrue, misinterpret, misunderstand

  4. to strike repeatedly

    "threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game"

    similar: bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib (British), flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste, lash, lather, lick, maul, paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop, whup, work over, beat up on
    related: assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp, blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap, gore, lacerate, wound, maim, mangle, mutilate

Related Entry: Mess (with) (verb)

Mess (with) is a different word from Mess. The synonyms below are for mess (with), not for mess.

  1. to handle thoughtlessly, ignorantly, or mischievously

    "please don't mess with the buttons on the camera"

    similar: diddle (with), fiddle (with), fool (with), monkey (with), play (with), tamper (with), tinker (with), toy (with), twiddle (with)
    related: abuse, alter, doctor, manhandle, manipulate, mistreat, misuse, butt in, interfere, intrude, meddle, muck (about or around)

Related Entry: Mess around (verb)

Mess around is a different word from Mess. The synonyms below are for mess around, not for mess.

  1. to spend time in aimless activity

    "spent the vacation day just messing around"

    similar: doodle, fiddle (around), fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang about (British), kick around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle
    related: dally, dawdle, dillydally, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, clown (around), horse around, diddle (with), tinker
    near: buckle (down), knuckle down, set (to), settle (down)

  2. to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun

    "a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women"

    similar: coquet, dally, flirt, frivol, toy, trifle
    related: vamp, court, mash, woo, josh, kid, put on, razz, rib, tease, fool, lead on, string along, manipulate, play (with)

  3. to come or be together as friends

    "if you continue to mess around with such narrow-minded boobs, you'll begin to think and act like them"

    similar: associate, chum, company, consociate, consort, fraternize, hang (around or out), hobnob, hook up, pal (around), run, sort, travel, be friends with, fall in with, keep company (with), rub elbows (with), take up with
    related: affiliate, ally, attach, band, bond, club, collaborate, collude, confederate, conjoin, connect, cooperate, couple, gang, get along, get on, group, interrelate, join, knot, league, link, mingle, mix, rally, relate, side, socialize, team, tie, wed, befriend, friend
    near: avoid, cold-shoulder, shun, snub, alienate, estrange, break up, disband, disperse, split (up), disjoin, dissociate, disunite, divorce, sever, split, sunder

Related Entry: Mess over (verb)

Mess over is a different word from Mess. The synonyms below are for mess over, not for mess.

  1. to inflict physical or emotional harm upon

    "her no-good boyfriend has been messing her over for years"

    similar: abuse, brutalize, bully, ill-treat, ill-use, kick around, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, take apart
    related: molest, outrage, violate, harass, harm, hurt, injure, oppress, persecute, torment, torture, burn, sandbag, victimize, wrong, beat (up), mess (up), rough (up), work (over)
    near: care (for), cherish, foster, nurture, baby, cater (to), coddle, favor, gratify, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Mess

The most common words with a similar meaning to Mess:

Chiefly British: lashings
chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter, chow, feed, meal, menu, refection, repast, table, eyesore, fright, hideosity, horror, monstrosity, sight, abundance, barrel, basketful

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Mess

Words with the opposite meaning of Mess:

order, orderliness, ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion

Related Words for Mess

anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, riot, knot, snarl, tangle, labyrinth, maze, web, maelstrom, storm, bollix, clutter, litter, mishmash, shuffle, hodgepodge, medley, miscellany, morass, motley, board, breakfast, buffet, collation, dinner, lunch, luncheon, refreshments

Near Antonyms of Mess

method, pattern, plan, system, vision, atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop

Word Forms of Mess

Inflections: messed, messing, messes

Origin & Etymology of Mess

Middle English mes, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin missus course at a meal, from missus, past participle of mittere to put, from Latin, to send smite

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Mess

mess around, mess hall, mess jacket, mess kit, mess over, mess with, mess about, mess about with (something)

Frequently Asked Questions about Mess

What does "Mess" mean?

"Mess" means a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Mess"?

Other words for "Mess" include chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder and disorderedness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Mess" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Mess"?

There are 222 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Mess". Common alternatives include chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness and disorganization.

What is the opposite of "Mess"?

Antonyms of "Mess" include order, orderliness, ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet and glimmer. Near antonyms include method, pattern, plan and system.

How do you use "Mess" in a sentence?

Examples of "Mess" in a sentence: "the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess"; "a mess of oatmeal"; "the car was a mess after the accident".

Is "Mess" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Mess" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Mess"?

"Mess" is pronounced /ˈmes/.

What is the origin of the word "Mess"?

"Mess" comes from Middle English mes, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin missus course at a meal, from missus, past participle of mittere to put, from Latin, to send smite. First known use: 14th century.