Mess (Noun)
Meaning 1
Informal terms for a difficult situation; "he got into a terrible fix"; "he made a muddle of his marriage".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- I've got myself into a mess with my credit card debt.
- The politician's scandal has left the government in a mess.
- She got out of bed on the wrong side this morning and made a mess of her hair.
- The economy is in a mess due to years of mismanagement.
- The divorce left a mess in the family and it will take years to sort out.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
A state of confusion and disorderliness; "the house was a mess"; "she smoothed the mussiness of the bed".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Soft semiliquid food; "a mess of porridge".
Classification
Nouns denoting foods and drinks.
Examples
- She carefully made a mess of oatmeal to serve to her infant.
- A mess of yogurt was a convenient breakfast on-the-go for busy mornings.
- For dinner, they had a mess of mashed potatoes to accompany their roasted chicken.
- The child was eager to dig into the mess of applesauce in front of her.
- After a quick stir, the cook presented a mess of creamy grits to start the day.
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 4
A meal eaten in a mess hall by service personnel.
Classification
Nouns denoting foods and drinks.
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 5
A (large) military dining room where service personnel eat or relax.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The dining room was a mess after the feeding frenzy of hungry soldiers returning from a long patrol.
- Cleaning up the mess in the dining hall after chow was a task nobody looked forward to.
- The sergeant was furious at the mess he found on the tables and floors after breakfast.
- After a few drinks, the normally tidy dining room quickly devolved into a mess of empty bottles and snack wrappers.
- The dining room was a mess from last night's festivities and it took the ENTIRE morning for the staff to clean it up.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money".
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The new restaurant made a mess of its opening night with long wait times and incorrect orders.
- There's a mess of people trying to get out of the stadium after the concert.
- The messy room was a mess of clothes, books, and trash scattered all over the floor.
- The storm left a mess of debris and downed power lines in its wake.
- The government's economic policies have created a mess of inflation and unemployment.
Synonyms
- Mass
- Good Deal
- Lot
- Quite A Little
- Great Deal
- Flock
- Hatful
- Peck
- Tidy Sum
- Slew
- Raft
- Passel
- Wad
- Mountain
- Pot
- Sight
- Mint
- Pile
- Mickle
- Spate
- Stack
- Deal
- Plenty
- Muckle
- Heap
- Batch