Meaning of “mess” in the English Dictionary

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"mess" in English

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messnoun

uk ​ /mes/ us ​ /mes/

mess noun (DIRT/UNTIDINESS)

B1 [ S or U ] Something or someone that is a mess, or is in a mess, looks dirty or untidy:

He makes a terrible mess when he's cooking.
UK Jem's house is always in a mess.
Go and clean up that mess in the kitchen.
UK Freddy can't stand mess.
mainly UK I look a mess - I can't go out like this!
My hair's such a mess today!

› [ C ] an animal's solid waste:

Fido left another mess on the carpet.

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mess noun (PROBLEMS)

B2 [ S ] a situation that is full of problems:

She said that her life was a mess.
I got myself into a mess by telling a lie.
The company's finances are in a mess.

› [ S ] a person whose life is full of problems they cannot deal with:

After the divorce he was a real mess and started drinking too much.
make a mess of sth also mess sth up

› to do something badly or spoil something:

I made a real mess of my final exams.

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mess noun (ROOM)

› [ C ] US also mess hall a room or building in which members of the armed forces have their meals or spend their free time:

The captain was having breakfast in the mess hall.
They spent their evenings in the officers' mess, drinking and playing cards.

› [ C ] Indian English a large public room where people have their meals

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messverb

uk ​ /mes/ us ​ /mes/

Idiom(s)

(and) no messing

Phrasal verb(s)

mess around
mess sb about/around
mess around with sth
mess around (with sb)
mess sth up
mess (sth) up
mess sb up
mess with sth/sb
mess with sth
mess with sb

(Definition of “mess” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"mess" in American English

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messnoun

us ​ /mes/

mess noun (DISORDER)

› [ C usually sing ] a condition of disorder and confusion, or something in that condition:

They left the kitchen a mess.
We sat in traffic for two hours while they cleaned up the mess from the accident.

› [ C usually sing ] A mess is also a dirty condition:

The puppy’s made a mess on the dining room rug.

› [ C usually sing ] A mess is also a situation that is full of problems and difficulties:

Traffic was a mess.

mess noun (ROOM)

› [ C ] also mess hall, /ˈmes·hɔl/ a room or building in which members of the military eat their meals:

the officers’ mess
mess
verb [ I/T ] us ​ /mes/

› infml

[ I/T ] Don’t mess up my hair – I just combed it.

(Definition of “mess” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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