mess

CEFRB1

/mɛs/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A dirty or untidy state.

  2. 02

    verb

    To make something dirty or untidy.

Examples

  • It's a complete mess, and it's getting on my nerves.

  • The principal severely reproved the students whenever they made a mess in the hallway.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. a large quantity or number

  2. a thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation

  3. a person in a state of (especially emotional) turmoil or disarray; an emotional wreck

More examples

In context

  • The room was in a mess.

  • My bedroom is such a mess; I need to tidy up.

  • He made a mess of it.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The children left the living room in a huge blank after their messy game.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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”).