[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/messy/)

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# messy

adjective (messy, messier, messiest)

«messy» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Untidy or dirty: «a messy room». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#m1)
2. Making things dirty or untidy: «a messy job like painting». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#m2)
3. Complicated and unpleasant: «a messy argument». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life: messy bedrooms, messy eating, messy play with paint and sand; tidying up is good manners and safety (things on the floor cause trips). In school, «messy handwriting» is hard to read. Phrases: «messy room», «messy hair», «messy play».

### Examples

- My room is very messy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x1)
- Painting is messy, so wear an apron. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x2)
- Spaghetti is a messy food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x3)
- His handwriting is too messy to read. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x4)
- The baby is a messy eater. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x5)
- Toys on a messy floor can make people trip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x6)
- The end of their friendship was messy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x7)
- He had carried Tinker Bell part of the way, and his hand was still messy with the fairy dust. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/#x8)

### Note

Comparatives: messier, messiest. Noun: mess. Opposite: tidy, neat. «Messy» about a situation means it is complicated, not dirty.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «messy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/messy/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«messy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/messy.html) on Mova free.