mess (mɛs
)
Definitions
noun
- a state of confusion or untidiness, esp if dirty or unpleasant ⇒
the house was in a mess
- a chaotic or troublesome state of affairs; muddle ⇒
his life was a mess
- informal a dirty or untidy person or thing
- archaic a portion of food, esp soft or semiliquid food
- a place where service personnel eat or take recreation ⇒
an officers' mess
- a group of people, usually servicemen, who eat together
- the meal so taken
- See mess of pottage
verb
- (tr) often foll by up to muddle or dirty
- (intr) to make a mess
- (intr) often foll by with to interfere; meddle
- (intr; often foll by with or together) military to group together, esp for eating
Word Origin
C13: from Old French mes dish of food, from Late Latin missus course (at table), from Latin mittere to send forth, set outSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
untidiness,
disorder,
confusion,
chaos,
turmoil,
litter,
clutter,
disarray,
jumble,
disorganization,
grot,
dirtiness,
=
difficulty,
dilemma,
plight,
spot,
hole,
fix,
jam,
hot water
stew,
mix-up,
muddle,
pickle,
uphill,
predicament,
deep water
perplexity,
tight spot,
imbroglio,
fine kettle of fish
Translations
- British English:
mess
If something is a mess or in a mess, it is dirty or untidy.I'll clear up the mess later.mɛs NOUN I'll clear up the mess later.
- Spanish:
desorden
nm
- French:
désordre
nm
- German:
Durcheinander
nnt
- Chinese: 混乱 n
- Arabic: فَوْضَى n
- Portuguese: trapalhada nf
- Russian: беспорядок nm
- Croatian: nered nm
- Czech: nepořádek nm
- Danish: rod nnt
- Dutch: rotzooi n
- Finnish: sotku n
- Greek: μπέρδεμα nnt
- Italian: disordine nm
- Japanese: 散乱 n
- Korean: 엉망인 상태 n
- Norwegian: rot nnt
- Polish: bałagan nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: bagunça nf
- European Spanish:
desorden
nm
- Swedish: röra nutr
- Thai: สภาพรกรุงรัง n
- Turkish: dağınıklık n
- Vietnamese: bừa bãi n
Usage examples
Quarshie hadn't invested in outside lights -- get the `Q' on the door before you mess around with security.
, BLOOD IS DIRT (2002)Often I find an ageing one on my desk that has turned into a sticky mess.
New Scientist (2004)The stock market mess of the past year is an ideal testing ground for this fund concept.
Globe and Mail (2003)Yesterday, his starter pack sat in a neat pile on his workbench, surrounded by a mess of pearls.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Marie-Cleste frowned at the mess I was making of the threads.
, THE LADY AND THE UNICORN (2003)