Is messy an adjective

Messy Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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[ mes-ee ]

/ ˈmɛs i /

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See synonyms for: messy / messiness on Thesaurus.com

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adjective, mess·i·er, mess·i·est.

characterized by a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition: a messy room.

causing a mess: a messy recipe; messy work.

embarrassing, difficult, or unpleasant: a messy political situation.

characterized by moral or psychological confusion.

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Origin of messy

First recorded in 1835–45; mess + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM messy

mess·i·ness, noun

Words nearby messy

messroom, Messrs., messuage, mess-up, mess with, messy, mestee, mester, mestiza, mestizo, mestome

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to messy

chaotic, confused, sloppy, blotchy, careless, disheveled, disordered, disorganized, grimy, grubby, littered, muddled, raunchy, rumpled, slapdash, slipshod, slovenly, unfastidious, unkempt, untidy

How to use messy in a sentence

It was clear that Apple’s antiquated App Store rules needed an update, but now that we see their solution, it’s clear that things are going to be very messy for platform operators and game developers that were hoping for an easy solution.
Apple lays out its messy vision for how xCloud and Stadia will work with its App Store rules|Lucas Matney|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch
These soft, elegant towels can go up against even the messiest food spills.
Dish towels to tackle almost any mess|PopSci Commerce Team|September 10, 2020|Popular-Science
What you usually get is messy, frustratingly slow progress, and self-doubt about your own voice and skills.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in government and policy|Rachel King|September 10, 2020|Fortune
The formula for these points was quite messy, but if you’d like to see it nevertheless, check out the write-ups of Laurent Lessard, who found a condition on these values, and David Zimmerman, who attempted to find a closed-form solution.
Can You Cover The Globe?|Zach Wissner-Gross|August 28, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

The battle to secure as many vaccine doses as possible, once approved, could prove an even messier fight given that a limited number of companies are trying to address the problems of the entire world.
The COVID vaccine arms race and the struggles of the supply chain|Sy Mukherjee|August 20, 2020|Fortune
If you think divorce between two people is messy and traumatic, imagine divorcing yourself.
Why Singles Should Say ‘I Don’t’ to The Self-Marriage Movement|Tim Teeman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But there is a messy middle territory between demonization and idealization.
The 2014 Novel of the Year|Nathaniel Rich|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
THE NEW YORK TIMES/JILL ABRAMSON DISASTER: It was messy enough when, on May 14, New York Times Co.
The Bloodiest Media Coups of 2014|Lloyd Grove|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In another, they sit smiling inside their Los Angeles apartment at a messy kitchen table.
‘All Good Cretins Go to Heaven’: Dee Dee Ramone’s Twisted Punk Paintings|Melissa Leon|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their inevitable divorce was messy, bitter, and packed with bizarre occurrences.
Borges Had A Genius For Literature But Not Love Or Much Else|Allen Barra|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I can't bear ugly, messy places; above all, messy, untidy places make me perfectly cross and miserable. '
Robin Redbreast|Mary Louisa Molesworth
There used to be a very messy, rocky desert here, and we used to have to scrabble and scratch our way to the monument.
The Colors of Space|Marion Zimmer Bradley
There was something so messy about dish-washing, ordinary dish-washing; milk-pans were different.
The Camerons of Highboro|Beth B. Gilchrist
Fishing seemed a messy business—an uncouth trade among uncouth men.
The Viking Blood|Frederick William Wallace
I did write out my translations on an extra paper first, for I didnt want to make any erasures and have a messy paper.
Betty Lee, Freshman|David Goodger ([email protected])

British Dictionary definitions for messy

messy

/ (ˈmɛsɪ) /

adjective messier or messiest

dirty, confused, or untidy

Derived forms of messy

messily, adverbmessiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Messy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

ˈme-sē

: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy

a messy room

: lacking neatness or precision : careless, slovenly

messy thinking

: extremely unpleasant or trying

messy lawsuits

a messy divorce

messily

ˈme-sə-lē

adverb

messiness

ˈme-sē-nəs

noun

Synonyms

chaotic
cluttered
confused
disarranged
disarrayed
disheveled
dishevelled
disordered
disorderly
higgledy-piggledy
hugger-mugger
jumbled
littered
messed
muddled
mussed
mussy
pell-mell
rumpled
sloppy
topsy-turvy
tousled
tumbled
unkempt
untidy
upside-down

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Example Sentences

Painting a room can be messy work. Some kinds of glue are messier than others. a delicious but messy sandwich

Recent Examples on the Web Grab plenty of napkins though and maybe a spoon, because things can get messy in the best of ways. Chuck Blount, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Nov. 2022 Things can get messy when people aren’t forthcoming. Callum Borchers, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022 But things get messy when a former survivor of the serial killer returns for revenge. Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2022 Phoebe is an outspoken podcast star navigating her messy but amazing life. Toby Grey, BGR, 16 Sep. 2022 Outside groups and experts warn the rollout of Biden’s student debt cancellation plan could get messy. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 6 Sep. 2022 When stakes are high and emotions get messy, humans do the right thing by sticking to their principles. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2022 Lucien Laviscount—who appeared as Alfie in the most recent season—has also been upgraded to a series regular, meaning Emily’s messy romantic life is about to get even more complicated. Vogue, 26 Aug. 2022 His messy personal life was also marked by tragedy when his 10-year-old daughter, Julie, died after a propane stove exploded in his Aspen home in 1973. Rick Schultz, Variety, 24 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'messy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of messy was in 1627

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near

messy

mess with someone's mind/head

messy

Mesta

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“Messy. ” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messy. Accessed 23 Nov. 2022.

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Kids Definition

ˈmes-ē

: marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy

: extremely unpleasant or trying

messy lawsuits

messily

ˈmes-ə-lē

adverb

messiness

ˈmes-ē-nəs

noun

English adjective

English Le arning O nline

Grammar

An adjective is a part of speech that denotes a sign of an object and answers the question what? what? For example: red red, good good, interesting interesting, Russian Russian.

Adjectives in English do not change either by gender, or by number, or by case: a young man a young man, a young woman young, woman, young people young people, with a young man with a young man. They can only change in degrees of comparison: long, longer, longest long, longer, longest.

Adjectives are simple and derivative. Simple adjectives have neither prefixes nor suffixes in their composition: big is big, short is short, black is black, red is red. Derived adjectives include suffixes or prefixes, or both at the same time: natural, incorrect, incorrect, unnatural.

The most characteristic adjective suffixes are:

-ful: useful, doubtful

-less: helpless helpless, useless useless;

-ous: famous, dangerous;

-al: formal formal, central central;

-able, -ible: eatable

The most common adjective prefixes are:

un-: unhappy unhappy, unequal unequal;

in-: incomplete incomplete, indifferent indifferent.

Some adjectives are compound and are formed from two words denoting one concept: dark-blue is dark blue, snow-white is snow-white.

In a sentence, adjectives are used in the function of definition and in the function of the nominal part of the compound predicate:

The large box is on the table. Big box on the table.

(definition)

The box is large. The box is big.

(nominal part of compound predicate)

TRANSFER OF ADJECTS TO NOUNS

Some adjectives in English, as well as in Russian, can act as nouns. With a plural meaning, denoting all persons or a group of persons with this feature, they do not take the ending -s and are used with the definite article:

There are special schools for the blind in our country.

Immediate help was rendered to the sick.

There are special schools for the blind in our country.

Patients received immediate care.

To designate one person or several individuals, a combination of an adjective with one of the nouns is used: man, men; woman, women; person, persons; people, etc.: a blind man; a blind woman two blind persons a poor man two poor men.

Adjectives denoting a nationality can become nouns denoting persons of that nationality. Adjectives ending in -an, -ian (Russian Russian, German German, etc.), turning into nouns, are used both in the singular and in the plural. In the plural, they take the ending -s:

a Russian

a Bulgarian

a German

a Norwegian

an American

Russian

Bulgarian

German

Norwegian

American

two Russians

three Bulgarians

two Germans

two Norwegians

two Americans

two Russians

three Bulgarians

two Germans

two Norwegians

two Americans

In the plural, such nouns can refer to the nation as a whole. In this case, they are preceded by the definite article:

the Russians

the Norwegians

Russians

Norwegians

the Bulgarians

the Germans

Bulgarians

Germans

Adjectives ending in -se and -ss (Chinese Chinese, Swiss Swiss, etc.) become nouns, both singular and plural. In the plural, they do not take the ending -s. They can also refer to the given nation as a whole. In this case, they are preceded by the definite article:

a Chinese

a Japanese

a Swiss

two Chinese

two Japanese

two Swiss

the Chinese

the Japanese

the Swiss

Adjectives ending in -sh and -ch (English English, French French, etc. ) become nouns and are used in the plural to refer to the nation as a whole. In this case, they are preceded by a definite article: the French are French, the English are English, the Scotch are Scots, the Dutch are Dutch, the Spanish are Spaniards.

When it is not about the nation as a whole, compound nouns are used, formed from this adjective and the nouns man, woman, men, women:

an Englishman

English

a Frenchman

French

a Scotchman

Scot

a Dutchman

Dutch

an Englishwoman

English

a Frenchwoman

french

a Scotchwoman

tartan

a Dutchwoman

dutch

two Englishmen

three Frenchwomen

three french women

two Scotchmen

two Scots

two Dutchmen

But: a Spaniard Spaniard; two Spaniards

ADJECTIVE SENTENCE

The adjective in the function of definition comes before the noun to which it refers, and in the function of the nominal part of the compound predicate - after the linking verb:

I have bought a red pencil. I bought a red pencil.

The pencil is red. The pencil is red.

When a noun is defined by two or more adjectives, those that are more closely related in meaning to the noun are placed closer to it:

It was a cold autumn day.

He is a clever young man.

She put on a new black woolen dress.

It was a cold autumn day.

He is a smart young man.

She is wearing a new black woolen dress.

Some adjectives ending in -able, -ible can either precede or follow the noun:

The goods were shipped by the first available steamer (=by the first steamer available).

The goods were shipped by the first steamer available.

The adjective enough can come before or after a noun:

We have enough time.

= We have enough time.

We have enough time.

COMPARATIVE DEGREES OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Qualitative adjectives and adverbs of mode of action in English, as well as in Russian, have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative. One-syllable adjectives and adverbs, as well as two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, -e, -er, -ow, form a comparative degree by adding the suffix -er to the positive degree, and a superlative degree using the suffix -est.

FORMATION OF COMPARATIVE POWERS WITH THE HELP OF SUFFIXES
Positive degree	Comparative degree	Superlatives
small	smaller	smallest
easy easy	easier	easiest

SPELLING CHANGES IN THE FORMATION OF COMPARATIVE DEGREES USING THE SUFFIXES -ER AND -EST
No. p/n	RULE	EXAMPLE
1	If an adjective or adverb ends in a positive degree with an unreadable letter -e, then adding -er and -est this letter is omitted	large large - larger more - largest
2	If an adjective or adverb ends in a consonant letter preceded by a short stressed sound, the final consonant is doubled	hot - hotter - hottest hottest
3	If an adjective or adverb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, the comparative and superlative degrees of -y change to -i-	busy - busier busier - busiest
4	If -y is preceded by a vowel, then -y remains unchanged	gray gray - grayer - grayest

Polysyllabic adjectives and adverbs, as well as most disyllabic adjectives (except those ending in -y, -e, -er, -ow) form the comparative degree with the word more more, and the superlative degree with the word most most, most, which are placed before an adjective or adverb in the form of a positive degree.

FORMATION OF COMPARATIVE DEGREES USING MORE AND MOST
Positive degree	Comparative degree	Excellent grade
interesting	more interesting more interesting	most interesting most interesting
easily	more easily	most easily
active active	more active more active	most active most active

In addition, there are a number of adjectives and adverbs that form degrees of comparison from other roots.

EXCEPTIONS

POSITIVE

DEGREE

COMPARATIVE

DEGREE

EXCELLENT

DEGREE

good good

well

better

best,

best

bad bad

badly* badly

worse

worst

little

less less than

least,

least

many

much

most largest,

most

far

far away

farther further

(by distance),

further more distant (in time)

farthest

(by distance),

furthest

(by time)

* The remaining adverbs ending in -ly form degrees of comparison using the words more and most, for example: correctly correctly - more correctly more correctly - most correctly most correctly.

NOTES
No. p/n	NOTE	EXAMPLE
1	A noun with a superlative adjective is used with the definite article if no pronoun is required	Moscow is the largest city in our country. Moscow is the largest city in our country. My best friend lives in Saransk. My best friend lives in Saransk.
2	The definite article is retained before the superlative even when the noun is not mentioned (i.e. it is implied)	The Moscow underground is the most beautiful in the world. The Moscow metro is the most beautiful in the world.
3	When comparing two objects of unequal quality, the conjunction than than is always used, which follows the adjective or adverb in a comparative degree (in Russian it can be omitted)	My son is younger than yours. My son is younger than yours (=than yours).
4	When comparing equal qualities of two objects, the pair union as ... as is the same ... as ... The adjective or adverb is in a positive degree	He is as old as my grandfather. He is the same age as my grandfather. (= He is as old as my grandfather.)
5	When negating the equality of the qualities of two objects, the pair union is used not so . .. as not the same ... as ... The adjective or adverb is in a positive degree	Your house is not so big as ours. Your house is not as big as ours.
6	Most (of) followed by a noun is translated by the words most, most	Most students speak English well. Most of the students speak English well.
7	An English sentence, the two parts of which (separated by a comma) begin with an adjective or an adverb in a comparative degree with a definite article before it, is translated into Russian using the union than ..., those ...	The more we read, the more we know. The more we read, the more we know.

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Vocabulary

Adjective

The meaning and grammatical features of the adjective.

Adjective is a part of speech that denotes a sign of an object and answers the questions what? which? which? whose?

Note. Under the attribute in grammar, it is customary to understand the properties, belonging, quantities, etc., characterizing objects.

According to the meaning and form, the categories of adjectives are distinguished: qualitative, relative and possessive. Adjectives, depending on nouns, agree with them, i.e. are put in the same case, number, gender as the nouns to which they refer. The initial form of adjectives is the nominative case in the singular masculine. Adjectives come in full and short (only qualitative ones). In a sentence, adjectives in full form, as a rule, are agreed definitions, sometimes they are the nominal part of the compound predicate. Short form adjectives are used only as predicates. Qualitative adjectives have a comparative and a superlative degree.

Qualitative adjectives.

Qualitative adjectives denote such a sign (quality) of an object that can be in this object to a greater or lesser extent.

Qualitative adjectives designate an attribute of an object according to:

shape (straight, angled)
size (slim, low)
color (red, lemon)
property (tough, tough)
taste (bitter, salty)
weight (heavy, weightless)
smell (odorous, fragrant)
temperature (warm, cool)
sound (loud, quiet)
general assessment (important, harmful)
and others

Most quality adjectives have full and short forms. Full form varies by cases, numbers and gender. Adjectives in short form change by number and gender. Short adjectives are not declined; in a sentence are used as predicates. Some adjectives are used only in short form: much, glad, must, need . Some qualitative adjectives do not have a corresponding short form: adjectives with suffixes denoting a high degree of attribute, and an adjective that is part of terminological names (fast train, deep rear).

Qualitative adjectives can be combined with an adverb is very , have antonyms. Qualitative adjectives have comparative and superlative degrees of comparison . In form, each degree can be simple (consists of one word) and compound (consists of two words): harder, quietest.

Comparative degree. Comparative degree shows that in this or that subject the attribute appears to a greater or lesser extent than in another.

Superlatives. Superlative degree shows that one or another object is superior to other objects in some way.

Relative adjectives.

Relative adjectives denote such a feature of an object that cannot be in the object to a greater or lesser extent. Relative adjectives do not have a short form, degrees of comparison, do not combine with the adverb very , do not have antonyms. Relative adjectives change by case, number and gender (singular).

Relative adjectives denote :

material (wooden spoon, clay pot)
number (five-year-old daughter, two-story house)
location (river port, steppe wind)
time (last year's plan, January frosts)
appointment (washing machine, passenger train)
weight, length, measure (meter stick, quarter plan)
and others

Possessive adjectives.

Possessive adjectives indicate that something belongs to a person and answer questions whose? whose? whose? whose? Possessive adjectives change by case, number and gender.

Is messy an adjective

Messy Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Origin of messy

OTHER WORDS FROM messy

Words nearby messy

Words related to messy

How to use messy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for messy

Derived forms of messy

Messy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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The meaning and grammatical features of the adjective.

Qualitative adjectives.

Relative adjectives.

Possessive adjectives.

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