mess
mess — noun
1. a condition in which a place or a collection of things is dirty, disorganized, a
a condition in which a place or a collection of things is dirty, disorganized, and out of place — like a kitchen after cooking all day, or a child's room with clothes and toys scattered everywhere.
Mira's bedroom was such a mess that she could not find her school uniform.
be a mess — describing a state
The kitchen became a complete mess after Christopher tried to bake a cake.
become a + adj + mess
After the party, empty bottles and dirty plates lay everywhere in a terrible mess.
in a mess — prepositional phrase
Who is going to clean up this mess in the bathroom?
The children left the living room in a mess, so their mother made them tidy it.
leave [place] in a mess
- clean up a mess
- clear up a mess
- in a mess
- be a mess
- make a mess
Grammar Patterns
a + mess
in a + mess
be a + mess
Usage Note
Often used with 'a' in the singular ('a mess') even when referring to a general state. Frequently found in the fixed phrase 'in a mess' (describing a location's condition) and 'be a mess' (describing a person or thing).
Common Mistakes
2. the solid waste that comes out of an animal's body — usually referring to a pet'
the solid waste that comes out of an animal's body — usually referring to a pet's excrement that needs to be cleaned up.
The dog had left a mess on the living room carpet.
leave a mess — common collocation
Kian asked Mira to pick up the puppy's mess from the garden.
The park had a sign asking owners to clean up their dog's mess.
clean up + dog's mess — typical public sign
Sari noticed her cat had made a mess in the corner of the garage.
- dog mess
- cat mess
- leave a mess
- clean up a mess
- pick up mess
Grammar Patterns
leave + a/possesive + mess
clean up + mess
Usage Note
Primarily used for pet animals (dogs, cats). Not used for human waste. The expression 'dog mess' is very common in public notices in British English.
Common Mistakes
3. a set of troublesome circumstances that arise when things go badly due to poor o
a set of troublesome circumstances that arise when things go badly due to poor organization or bad decisions — such as a company struggling with huge debts or a traveller stranded by booking errors.
The company's finances were in a mess after the manager quit without warning.
in a mess — describing a difficult situation
Lukas got into a real mess when he missed the last train home.
get into a mess — entering a difficult situation
The whole project turned into a mess because nobody checked the sales data.
Shanti spent three hours sorting out the mess at the bank after the computer error.
sort out a mess — resolving a problem situation
The new government inherited an economic mess from the previous administration.
- in a mess
- get into a mess
- sort out a mess
- clear up a mess
- leave a mess
- a complete mess
- a real mess
- chaos
stronger — suggests total disorder and confusion
- shambles
informal British English; emphasizes failure or collapse
- predicament
more formal; an unpleasant situation that is hard to get out of
- order
a state where things are well-organized and under control
Grammar Patterns
in a + mess
get into a + mess
sort out a + mess
Usage Note
Frequently used with 'get into' (entering the situation), 'sort out' or 'clear up' (resolving it), and 'leave' (creating it for someone else). This sense is strongly informal — use 'crisis' or 'difficulty' in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
4. a person who is experiencing severe emotional or practical problems and cannot m
a person who is experiencing severe emotional or practical problems and cannot manage their life well — for example, someone going through a painful divorce or struggling with deep personal difficulties.
After losing his job, Caleb became a complete mess and stopped seeing his friends.
become a mess — entering a troubled state
Élise was a total mess the week after her grandfather passed away.
The therapist told Sari that after a big life change, feeling like a mess is normal.
feel like a mess — emotional state
After failing his driving test, Lukas was such a mess that his mother bought him ice cream.
- be a mess
- feel like a mess
- a complete mess
- a total mess
- such a mess
- wreck
even more informal and dramatic than 'mess'
- basket case
very informal, potentially offensive; someone unable to function
Grammar Patterns
be a + mess
feel like a + mess
Usage Note
Always needs an article ('a mess'). Strongly informal — cannot be used in formal or professional descriptions of mental health. Use 'struggling', 'distressed', or 'in a difficult period' in serious contexts.
Common Mistakes
5. the result of doing something very badly, so that it fails or is spoiled — used
the result of doing something very badly, so that it fails or is spoiled — used in the fixed phrase 'make a mess of' something, such as an exam, a job, or a relationship.
Xiu made a real mess of her presentation by reading straight from the slides.
make a mess of — fixed phrase for botching
Christopher made a mess of the repair job and had to call a professional plumber.
The team made a complete mess of their first attempt to launch the product.
make a complete mess of — intensified form
Astrid made an absolute mess of the cake recipe by adding salt instead of sugar.
- make a mess of
- make a real mess of
- make a complete mess of
- make an absolute mess of
- succeed at
to achieve the desired outcome
Grammar Patterns
make a mess of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Always used in 'make a mess of + noun phrase'. The mess here is a result, not a physical state. Can be intensified with adjectives like 'real', 'complete', 'absolute', 'terrible'.
Common Mistakes
6. a facility on a military base where soldiers, sailors, and air force personnel g
a facility on a military base where soldiers, sailors, and air force personnel go to eat together and relax when off duty.
The soldiers ate dinner in the mess hall at six o'clock every evening.
mess hall — common compound
The officers' mess had long wooden tables and a fireplace at one end.
New recruits learn the rules of the mess before their first meal there.
the mess — definite article for the specific facility
The navy's senior officers gathered in the wardroom mess for the celebration dinner.
- mess hall
- officers' mess
- sergeants' mess
- the mess
- mess hall
more common term for the general military dining facility
- canteen
a general dining facility, not limited to military
- dining hall
neutral term for any institutional dining room
Grammar Patterns
the + mess
officers' mess
mess hall
Usage Note
Always used in a military context. Different branches use specific terms: 'officers' mess', 'sergeants' mess', 'wardroom mess' (navy). The compound 'mess hall' is common for the general eating area.
7. a large room in a school, university, or workplace where people eat their meals
a large room in a school, university, or workplace where people eat their meals together.
The university's student mess serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
The staff mess on the second floor is reserved for teachers and administrators.
staff mess — fixed compound
Lunch in the school mess costs less than three pounds.
The college mess was crowded with students talking noisily between classes.
the ... mess — institutional dining facility
- student mess
- staff mess
- college mess
- school mess
- dining hall
more internationally common; a large room for communal meals
- cafeteria
a self-service dining area; more common in American English
- canteen
British English; a dining facility in a workplace or school
Grammar Patterns
the + mess
student mess
staff mess
Usage Note
Primarily British English. In other varieties of English, 'dining hall' or 'cafeteria' is more common. This sense is distinct from the military use (noun sense 6); it refers to civilian institutional dining rooms.
8. a large amount or number of something, especially when it appears disorganized o
a large amount or number of something, especially when it appears disorganized or abundant — like a pile of paperwork or a tangle of wires.
There was a whole mess of paperwork waiting on the manager's desk.
a whole mess of — intensifying the quantity
Caleb found a mess of old photographs and letters in his grandmother's attic.
The storm left a mess of fallen branches and leaves across the garden.
a mess of + noun — describing a scattered abundance
Under the kitchen sink was a mess of pipes and cleaning supplies all tangled together.
- a mess of
- a whole mess of
- a pile of
common; suggests things stacked or heaped
- a heap of
suggests an untidy mound of things
- a jumble of
emphasizes the mixed, disorganized quality
Grammar Patterns
a mess of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Always in the pattern 'a mess of + noun phrase'. This sense is primarily American English and informal. Unlike sense 1, it focuses on abundance rather than untidiness, though the two often overlap. The 'mess' here is the collection itself, not a state.
Common Mistakes
mess — verb
1. to make a place or group of things dirty and disordered — like leaving clothes o
to make a place or group of things dirty and disordered — like leaving clothes on the floor, spreading paperwork across a desk, or letting toys cover a room.
The kids messed the playroom just five minutes after Sari had finished cleaning it.
Who messed my desk while I was away at lunch?
Please do not mess the kitchen while I am cooking dinner.
imperative form with negation
The puppy messed the entire living room while nobody was watching.
- mess up
- mess the room
- mess the house
- disarrange
formal; to put things out of their proper order
- untidy
less common as a verb; chiefly British
- trash
more destructive; to deliberately make a mess or damage
Grammar Patterns
mess + noun phrase
mess + up + noun phrase
Usage Note
Often used with 'up' as a phrasal verb ('mess up') with the same meaning but more common in everyday speech. The bare transitive form ('mess the room') is less common than 'mess up the room' in informal British English.
Common Mistakes
2. when an animal releases solid waste somewhere it should not, requiring cleaning
when an animal releases solid waste somewhere it should not, requiring cleaning up.
The neighbour's dog has messed on our front lawn again this morning.
mess on [place] — intransitive + location preposition
Isabela's rabbit messed in the corner of its cage overnight.
The cat always messes in the same spot behind the sofa.
Someone did not walk their dog and it messed on the pavement outside the shop.
- mess on
- mess in
- mess behind
Grammar Patterns
mess + adverb/preposition
Usage Note
Intransitive only — you cannot 'mess something' in this sense. The location follows a preposition ('on', 'in', 'behind', etc.). The phrasal verb 'mess up' does NOT share this meaning.
Common Mistakes
mess up
phrasal verbto make something untidy or disorganized; also, to spoil something or do it badly.
Kian messed up his room looking for his passport and left clothes all over the floor.
The band messed up the second song and had to start again from the beginning.
mess about / around
phrasal verbto behave in a silly or playful way instead of doing something useful; also, to treat someone without seriousness.
The teacher told the boys to stop messing around and finish their homework.
Christopher felt that the company was messing him about by changing the schedule every day.
mess with
phrasal verbto interfere with something or someone, usually causing trouble or irritation.
Someone has been messing with the thermostat and now the office is freezing.
The old farmer warned the children not to mess with the bull in the back field.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/3
All four words describe unpleasant situations, but they differ in cause, severity, and register. 'Mess' is the most informal and general — it covers any difficult situation caused by poor planning or mistakes, from a missed train to a company crisis ('The project was a mess from the start'). 'Chaos' is stronger and suggests a complete lack of order or control ('After the earthquake, the city was in chaos'). 'Shambles' is chiefly British and implies that something has been very badly organized and has fallen apart ('The timetable was a shambles'). 'Predicament' is more formal and intellectual, focusing on a dilemma with no obvious good solution ('He found himself in a predicament when both job offers arrived on the same day'). Choose 'mess' for everyday informal speech, 'chaos' for dramatic disorder, 'shambles' for organizational failure, and 'predicament' for formal or written contexts.
Common collocations
Phrases
- in a mess
- into a mess
- make a mess
- leave a mess
- clear up a mess
- sort out a mess
Etymology
The word 'mess' entered English from Old French 'mes', meaning 'a dish of food' (from Latin 'missus', meaning 'a sending forth' — a course placed on the table). In medieval times, it referred to a portion of food served at a meal, then to a group of people eating together. This is how 'mess' came to mean a military dining hall (a place where soldiers eat as a group). The shift to 'a state of disorder' probably began in the 1800s, perhaps from the untidy condition of a shared eating area after a meal, or from 'mess' meaning a mixture of foods that looked unappetizing.