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messiness

messiness

4 1.6
A situation when things are untidy and hard to find
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛsiness/
translation icon : desorden
  • She embraced the messiness of her workspace, knowing that creativity often thrives in chaos.
  • messiness of life

How do you think through the the messiness of the human mind?

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Examples

  • But experts have long recognized the link between messiness and mental health.

  • The messiness of his room made it hard to find anything when he was in a hurry.

  • I guess that is part of the messiness of academic freedom.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Nobody really wants a real person and all the messiness that goes with it.

    Blog text (30)
  • It's love in all its messiness.

  • The general audience can definitely grasp the messiness of science if it is presented that way in an article.

    Blog text (14)
  • How to address the messiness in neighborhood work became high on the DCA's agenda.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The courtyard's messiness betrayed the unusual degree of activity that had taken place in the last few days.

    Academic text (2001)
  • We biologists rejoice in biological diversity, in all its complexity, unpredictability, and even messiness.

    Academic text (2006)
  • In both systems, compromise is far more common than glorious victory, messiness than crisp decisiveness, and perpetual squabbling than edifying clarity.

    Academic text (2014)

Synonyms

mess
vsmessiness
1.0

A situation in which things are untidy and confused

is the underlying quality of being disorderly rather than the situation result
muddle
vsmessiness
9 5.0

A confused, disorganized situation where things are not in order

is the simple state of disorder rather than confusion or unclear order
disorganization
vsmessiness
  • US
7 3.8

A lack of order or system that makes things untidy

is more about the physical state of things being messy
muss
vsmessiness
6 8.5

A mess of things or untidy hair

is the overall quality of being untidy rather than a minor rumple
sloppiness
vsmessiness
5 3.7

Careless, untidy behaviour that shows little attention to detail

is the neutral idea of things being disordered rather than care-based
untidiness
vsmessiness
1 2.5

Mess and things not in order in a place

is the broader state behind that appearance rather than its look
slovenliness
vsmessiness
1 8.3

Being untidy, dirty, and careless about clothes or work

is the neutral state of disorder without stressing dirtiness or habits
dishevelment
vsmessiness
1 7.2

An untidy, messy look of hair, clothes, or a room

is the general notion behind such untidy appearances rather than looks
scruffiness
vsmessiness
1 4.5

A messy, untidy look or way of dressing that seems careless

is the broad quality of disorder rather than a shabby style
shambles
vsmessiness
  • Informal
1 5.5

A place or situation that is very messy and out of order

is the steady quality of being untidy rather than a total collapse
mussiness
vsmessiness
5.7

A state of being messy and untidy

is the basic idea of being untidy rather than a named quality
disorderliness
vsmessiness
5.8

A lack of order that makes places or things messy

is the general quality causing things to look or feel messy
muddlement
vsmessiness
7.9

A state of confusion where things are unclear or messy

is the basic lack of order rather than the experience of confusion
schemozzle
vsmessiness
  • Slang
9.9

A confused, messy situation where plans go wrong

is the ongoing condition of disorder rather than a single chaotic event
haphazardness
vsmessiness
7.8

A lack of order or plan that makes things random

is the general state of being disordered rather than random arrangement

Antonyms

3 3.6

A way of keeping things neat and in the right place

2 1.4

The habit of keeping things neat and in order

How Messy

chaos
438 3.1
disorder
31 3.7
messiness
4 1.6
untidiness
1 2.5

Surface Forms

messiness singular
messinesses plural

Morphology

messiness = messy (transparent) = mess + y + ness

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'messy', yielding 'the quality of being messy'.

Etymology

Messiness comes from the simple word mess, which people use when things are mixed up and untidy, like clothes and papers in a pile. So, messiness means the state of being 'untidy' or 'disorganized'.