adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈmɛsi/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛsi
homophone: Messi
CMU ARPABET:M EH1 S IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
In a disorderly state; chaotic; disorderly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: person
Qualifier: situation; etc; situation; etc
Examples
a messy office
Jim ran his fingers through his messy brown hair.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Prone to causing mess.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He is the messiest person I've ever met.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Difficult or unpleasant to deal with.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a messy divorce
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Argumentative, spreading spreading gossip, talking behind someone's back
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
They keep starting fights with Sam, they're so messy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
dirty and disorderly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a mussy fussy bedroom
a child's messy eating habits
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mussy
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English mess Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English messy From mess + -y.
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
бязладны
(bjazladny)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Belarusian:
неахайны
(njeaxajny)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Bulgarian:
разхвърлян
(razhvǎrljan)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Catalan:
desordenat
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Catalan:
desendreçat
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Chinese Mandarin:
凌亂
(língluàn)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Dutch:
wanordelijk
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Dutch:
chaotisch
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Dutch:
rommelig
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Dutch:
warrig
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Esperanto:
malorda
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Esperanto:
ĥaosa
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Finnish:
sotkuinen
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Finnish:
sekainen
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
French:
désordonné
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
French:
désorganisé
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
French:
chaotique
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Georgian:
ჭუჭყიანი
(č̣uč̣q̇iani)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
German:
chaotisch
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
German:
unordentlich
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Greek:
ακατάστατος
(akatástatos)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Hebrew:
חסר סדר
(khasár séder)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Hebrew:
מבולגן
(mevulgán)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Hindi:
अव्यवस्थित
(avyavasthit)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Hindi:
अस्त-व्यस्त
(ast-vyast)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Hungarian:
rendetlen
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Icelandic:
sóðalegur
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Indonesian:
berantakan
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Irish:
míshlachtmhar
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Irish:
smeadráilte
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Italian:
disordinato
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Japanese:
乱雑な
(ranzatsu na)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Japanese:
きたない
(kitanai)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Japanese:
ぐちゃぐちゃ
(guchagucha)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Khmer:
រញ៉េរញ៉ៃ
(rɔɔñeerɔɔñay)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Krio:
chaka-chaka
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Latin:
incomptus
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Macedonian:
неу́реден
(neúreden)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Macedonian:
ра́сфрлен
(rásfrlen)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Māori:
pōrohe
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Māori:
hahohaho
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Māori:
pūaweawe
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Norwegian:
rotete
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Plautdietsch:
onkrakjt
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Polish:
bałaganiarski
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Polish:
zasyfiony
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Polish:
niechlujny
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Portuguese:
desorganizado
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Portuguese:
bagunçado
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Portuguese:
caótico
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Portuguese:
desordenado
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Romanian:
dezordonat
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Romanian:
haotic
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Russian:
беспоря́дочный
(besporjádočnyj)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Russian:
гря́зный
(grjáznyj)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Russian:
неря́шливый
(nerjášlivyj)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Slovak:
neupravený
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Slovak:
rozhádzaný
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Slovak:
v neporiadku
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Slovak:
neuprataný
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Spanish:
desordenado
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Spanish:
desprolijo
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Spanish:
inordenado
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Swedish:
rörig
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Turkish:
darmadağınık
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Turkish:
karmakarışık
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Turkish:
karman çorman
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Turkish:
pasaklı
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Ukrainian:
безла́дний
(bezládnyj)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Ukrainian:
неоха́йний
(neoxájnyj)
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Vietnamese:
lộn xộn
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Vietnamese:
hỗn loạn
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
Welsh:
anniben
— in a disorderly state; causing mess or confusion; chaotic; disorderly
