Meanings
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1
noun
A dirty or untidy state; a place where things are not in order.
The house was a complete mess after the party.
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2
noun
A confused or difficult situation.
He got himself into a real mess with his finances.
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3
verb
To make something untidy, dirty, or disordered.
I messed up my room while looking for my passport.
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4
noun
A person who is very upset or in emotional trouble.
After the breakup she was an emotional mess.
Thesaurus
Common collocations
Etymology
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”).
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