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   Mess

   /mes/

   

   noun

   • 1. a dirty or untidy state of things or of a place: "she made a mess of the kitchen" Similar untidinessdisorderdisarrayclutterheapshambleslittertanglejumblemuddlemishmashchaosconfusiondisorganizationturmoilinformal:muckfrightsightdog's dinner/breakfasttip
   • ▪ a thing or collection of things causing an untidy or dirty state: "she replaced the jug and mopped up the mess"
   • ▪ a person who is dirty or untidy: "I look a mess"
   • ▪ used euphemistically to refer to the excrement of a domestic animal: "dog mess" Similar excrementdungmuckfecesexcretadirt
   • 2. a situation or state of affairs that is confused or full of difficulties: "the economy is still in a terrible mess" Similar plightpredicamentemergencytight spottight cornerdifficultystraitstroublequandarydilemmaproblemmuddlemix-upconfusioncomplicationimbroglioentanglementmireinformal:jamfixpicklestewhot waterholepretty/fine kettle of fishscrapemuddlebotchbunglewreckinformal:hashmuckfoul-upscrewupcock-upshamblesomnishamblescar crashsnafuvulgar slang:fuck-upballs-up
   • ▪ a person whose life or affairs are confused or troubled: "he needs treatment of some kind—he's a real mess"
   • 3. a portion of semisolid or pulpy food, especially one that looks unappetizing: "a mess of mashed black beans and rice"
   • 4. a building or room in which members of the armed forces take their meals; mess hall: "the sergeants' mess"
   • ▪ a meal taken there.

   verb

   • 1. make untidy or dirty: "she scratched her head, messing her hair still further"
   • ▪ (of a domestic animal) defecate: "they had some problems with dogs messing in the store"
   • ▪ make dirty by defecating: "he feared he would mess the bed"
   • 2. take one's meals in a particular place or with a particular person, especially in an armed forces' mess: "I messed at first with Harry, who was to become a lifelong friend"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French mes ‘portion of food’, from late Latin missum ‘something put on the table’, past participle of mittere ‘send, put’. The original sense was ‘a serving of (semiliquid) food’, later ‘liquid food for an animal’; this gave rise (early 19th century) to the senses ‘unappetizing concoction’ and ‘predicament’, on which sense 1 is based. In late Middle English the term also denoted any of the small groups into which the company at a banquet was divided (who were served from the same dishes); hence, ‘a group who regularly eat together’ (recorded in military use from the mid 16th century).

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • M

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   • S

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2. People also ask

   What is the meaning of in a mess?

   • a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition: The room was in a mess. a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered. a state of embarrassing confusion: My affairs are in a mess. an unpleasant or difficult situation: She got into a mess driving without a license.

   Mess about Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com/browse/mess--about

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   What does it mean if the economy is in a mess?

   • [countable, usually singular] a situation that is full of problems, usually because of a lack of organization or because of mistakes that someone has made The economy is in a mess. I feel like I made a mess of things. The whole situation is a mess. Let's try to sort out this mess.

   mess noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/mess_1

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   What does messes mean?

   • mess (plural messes) ( obsolete) Mass; a church service. ( archaic) A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; also, the food given to an animal at one time.

   mess - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

   en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mess

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   What is an example of a mess?

   • Examples from the Corpus mess • The welfare system in this country is a mess. • Her swollen lips burned and she knew she must look a mess. • He looked a mess, his face covered in bruises and dried blood. • If the dog makes a mess, you clean it up! • My hair's a mess.

   mess | meaning of mess in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

   www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/mess

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3. dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › messMESS | definition in the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › mess

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   Someone or something that is a mess, or is in a mess, is dirty or untidy: [ usually singular ] My hair's such a mess! The house is in a mess. Don't make a mess in the kitchen! Fewer examples. His house is a right mess.

4. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › mess_1mess noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › mess_1

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   difficult situation. [countable, usually singular] a situation that is full of problems, usually because of a lack of organization or because of mistakes that somebody has made. in a mess The economy is in a mess. a financial mess. I feel I've made a mess of things.

5. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › mess_1mess noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › mess_1

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   noun. /mɛs/ dirty state. [countable, usually singular] a condition in which things are dirty or not neat The room was a mess. The kids made a mess in the bathroom. “What a mess!” she said, surveying the scene after the party. My hair's a real mess! Take your English to the next level.

6. www.dictionary.com › browse › mess'MESS Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › mess'

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   a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered. a state of embarrassing confusion: My affairs are in a mess. Synonyms: muddle, hodgepodge, farrago, confusion, disarray, disorder. an unpleasant or difficult situation: She got into a mess driving without a license. Synonyms: pickle, plight, predicament.

7. www.collinsdictionary.com › english-word › messMESS - All you need to know about it | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › english-word › mess

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   If you say that a situation is a mess, you mean that it is full of trouble or problems. You can also say that something is in a mess. [...]

8. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › messesMesses Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › messes

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   1. : a quantity of food: archaic : food set on a table at one time. b. : a prepared dish of soft food. also : a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together. c. : enough food of a specified kind for a dish or a meal. picked a mess of peas for dinner. 2. a. : a group of persons who regularly take their meals together.

9. www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › messmess | meaning of mess in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary ...

   www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › mess

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   mess meaning, definition, what is mess: if there is a mess somewhere or a place ...: Learn more.