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Mess
01
a state of disorder, untidiness, or confusion
Examples
After the party, the living room was a complete mess.
His desk is always in a mess, with papers everywhere.
02
a situation with many problems or difficulties, caused particularly by someone who is careless
Examples
The project 's budget overrun created a financial mess that took months to sort out.
His failure to submit the report on time left the team in a mess with the client.
03
a large dining room or area in a military establishment where service personnel eat, socialize, and relax
Examples
The soldiers gathered in the mess for their evening meal.
The mess was bustling with activity as everyone lined up for breakfast.
04
a meal provided for military personnel in a communal dining facility known as a mess hall
Examples
The soldiers enjoyed their evening mess after a long day of training.
Breakfast mess was served promptly at 0600 hours.
05
a dish or serving of soft, semiliquid food, often consisting of a mixture of ingredients
Examples
She prepared a nutritious mess of oatmeal for breakfast.
The chef served a delicious mess of stew at the dining table.
06
a large number, amount, or extent of something, often creating a sense of disorder or clutter
Examples
The kitchen counter was covered with a mess of dirty dishes.
He had a mess of paperwork to sort through by the end of the day.
to mess
01
to make something dirty or some place untidy
Transitive: to mess sth
Examples
Spilling food on the kitchen counter can mess the surface.
Dropping litter in public spaces can mess the environment.
02
to dine together with someone, typically within a shared dining facility
Intransitive
Examples
Every evening, the soldiers would mess together in the barracks, sharing stories of their day.
As members of the same unit, they often messed during training exercises and deployments.
Lexical Tree
messy
mess
