as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
having a messy room is virtually de rigueur for a college student
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messy
Today, he’s dropped off tender dandelion greens and a messy load of huckleberries.
—
Scott Clark As Told To Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025
The Pitt, the fun of any memorable medical drama usually lies in these colleagues’ messy personal dynamics, while the actual medicine is an interesting footnote.
—Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 3 Apr. 2025
Danny and Xander have a messy romantic history that would make any HR department cringe.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
For curly or wavy hair, blow dry the fringe with a diffuser, separating strands with fingers to create a messy fringe and set with product.
—Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Scott Clark As Told To Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025
The Pitt, the fun of any memorable medical drama usually lies in these colleagues’ messy personal dynamics, while the actual medicine is an interesting footnote.
—Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 3 Apr. 2025
Danny and Xander have a messy romantic history that would make any HR department cringe.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
For curly or wavy hair, blow dry the fringe with a diffuser, separating strands with fingers to create a messy fringe and set with product.
—Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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Why Talent Alone Won’t Cut It: The Role Of Engineering Standards And Best Practices Many companies mistakenly believe that hiring top-tier engineers automatically leads to high-quality software, but even the best engineers can’t thrive in a chaotic environment.—
Sebastian Avila,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Carter arrives as a fumbling, awkward, lovable med student—the audience surrogate in the chaotic and intense environment of a fictional Chicago emergency ward.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Had the veteran made sloppy errors or been at blame for any goals conceded, Farke would have been left with nowhere else to turn.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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During Nebraska’s run, Cardenas endured an uncharacteristic sloppy spell, turning over the ball six times in the first half.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Harris emphasizes nothing has yet changed but customers remain confused as to the status of the incentive and Harbinger’s IRA Risk Free Guarantee was created to mitigate that confusion.—
Ed Garsten,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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And while my four rides in Waymo's Jaguar i-Pace vehicles around Los Angeles last summer didn't feature any such fits of indecisiveness, the cars have had their own confused moments.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Chicagoans will have no one to hold accountable at the ballot box when the buses don’t arrive and rail stations are filthy and crime-ridden.—
Forrest Claypool,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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The plastic waste China received was filthy, much of it too dirty to be cleaned, shredded, and turned into new plastic.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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