Mess Definition
mĕs
messed, messes, messing
noun
messes
Unappetizing food; disagreeable concoction.
Webster's New World
A confused, troubling, or embarrassing condition or situation.
With divorce and bankruptcy proceedings pending, his personal life was in a mess.
American Heritage
A portion or quantity of food for a meal or dish.
Webster's New World
A portion of soft or semiliquid food, as porridge.
Webster's New World
One that is in such a condition.
They made a mess of their marriage. Her boyfriend is a real mess.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
verb
messed, messes, messing
To make disorderly or dirty.
The wind has messed your hair. The puppy messed the floor.
American Heritage
To eat as one of a mess.
Webster's New World
To putter (with)
Webster's New World
To make a mess of.
Webster's New World
To supply meals to.
Webster's New World
idiom
mess around
- to be busy in a desultory way; putter around
- to become involved (with)
Webster's New World
mess up
- to make a mess, as by ineptitude; bungle
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Mess
Origin of Mess
-
Middle English mes, Old French mets, Late Latin missum, from mittere (“to put, place") (e.g. on the table), Latin mittere (“to send"). See mission, and compare Mass (“religious service").
From Wiktionary
Middle English mes course of a meal, food, group of people eating together from Old French from Late Latin missus from Latin past participle of mittere to place
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
Perhaps a corruption of Middle English mesh (“for mash"), compare muss.
From Wiktionary
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