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mess

n. · v.
US //ˈmɛs// UK //mˈɛs// mess
  1. 1 untidiness (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a dirty or untidy state where things are not in their proper places.

    a state of physical disorder, dirtiness, or lack of organisation.

    Example

    The kids left a huge mess in the living room after playing with their toys.

    Example

    The construction crew left a significant mess on the site, with debris and discarded materials scattered across the lawn.
    Pitfall
    I made a mess in the kitchen.
    I made a mess of the kitchen.

    Use 'of' to indicate the place or thing that was made untidy.

  2. 2 a difficult situation (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a difficult or confused situation that is hard to solve.

    a state of confusion or difficulty, often resulting from mismanagement or poor decisions.

    Example

    The company's finances are in a real mess after the recent scandal.

    Example

    The legal team spent months trying to untangle the mess created by the previous administration's conflicting policies.
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  1. 3 military dining (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a place where people in the military eat together.

    a communal dining room or building, specifically for military personnel or members of a similar organisation.

    Example

    The officers gathered in the mess for dinner at six o'clock.

    Example

    Discussions in the officers' mess were strictly informal, allowing for a degree of socialising outside the rigid hierarchy of the base.
  2. 4 an emotional wreck (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    someone who is very upset or confused and cannot think clearly.

    a person in a state of severe emotional or mental distress.

    Example

    I was a total mess after I lost my job and my car broke down.

    Example

    She was an absolute mess during the first week of the divorce proceedings, struggling to maintain her professional composure.
  3. 5 to make untidy (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to make something dirty or untidy.

    to cause a state of disorder or dirtiness; often used with the particle 'up'.

    Example

    Don't mess the floor with your muddy boots.

    Example

    The wind quickly messed her hair as soon as she stepped out of the salon onto the street.

    Usage

    Often used as the phrasal verb 'mess up'.
  4. 6 to interfere (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to interfere with something or try to change it when you should not.

    to interfere or meddle with something, typically in a way that causes damage or confusion.

    Example

    You shouldn't mess with the settings on my computer.

    Example

    The technician warned the staff not to mess with the wiring until the safety inspection was complete.

    Usage

    Usually takes the preposition 'with'.
Etymology 1

Perhaps a corruption of Middle English mesh (“mash”), compare muss, or derived from Etymology 2 "mixed foods, as for animals". Compare also Old English mes (“dung, excrement”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English mes, partly from Old English mēse, mēose (“table”), a vernacular loan from Latin/Late Latin mē(n)sa (“table; meal”); and partly from Old French mes, Late Latin missum, from mittō (“to put, place (e.g. on the table)”). See mission, and compare Mass (“religious service”).

Word family
Idioms3 entries

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