mess

(mĕs)

noun

1. A disorderly or dirty accumulation, heap, or jumble: left a mess in the yard.
2. a. A cluttered, untidy, usually dirty condition: The kitchen was a mess.
   b. A confused, troubling, or embarrassing condition; a muddle: With divorce and bankruptcy proceedings pending, his personal life was in a mess.
   c. One that is in such a condition: clothes that were a mess after painting the ceiling; made a mess of their marriage.
3. a. An amount of food, as for a meal, course, or dish: cooked up a mess of fish.
   b. A serving of soft, semiliquid food: a mess of porridge.
4. a. A group of people, usually soldiers or sailors, who regularly eat meals together.
   b. Food or a meal served to such a group: took mess with the enlistees.
   c. A mess hall.

verb messed, mess·ing, mess·es verb, transitive

1. To make disorderly or soiled; clutter or foul: a puppy that still messes the floor.
2. To botch; bungle.

verb, intransitive

1. To cause or make a mess.
2. To use or handle something carelessly; fiddle: messed with the blender until he broke it.
3. To intrude; interfere: messing in the neighbors' affairs.
4. To take a meal in a military mess.

Phrasal Verbs: mess around Informal To pass time in aimless puttering. To associate casually or playfully: liked to mess around with pals on days off. Informal To be sexually unfaithful. mess up Informal To make a mistake, especially from nervousness or confusion: messed up and dropped the ball. Slang To beat up; manhandle: got messed up in a brawl.