Synonyms for

Messed

Verb / mest / Another word for messed — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

To make something dirty or untidy

Synonyms & similar words

mess messup soiled dirtied tainted sullied smudged stained spoiled corrupted defiled polluted ruined jumbled disarranged disorganized confused muddled mismanaged botched bungled fouled

Synonyms by register

Formal

disrupted disturbed compromised ruined damaged

Informal

screwed up mucked up botched fucked up bungled

Literary

disarrayed tangled marred

Antonyms

organized tidy orderly arranged neat straightened disciplined

Common collocations

  • messed up
  • messed around
  • messed with
  • messed things up
  • messed the place up
  • messed the plan up
  • messed the exam up

Word family

noun mess
verb mess
adjective messy
adverb messily

Usage note

The informal uses of 'messed' often imply a significant error or failure. Be mindful of the strong negative connotation, especially with phrases like 'messed up'.

Example sentences

  1. I messed up my hair before going to school.
  2. The dog messed up the living room rug.
  3. I accidentally messed up the cake mix.
  4. Don't mess up the order of the papers.
  5. I don't want to mess up this project.

Quotes

  • I messed up today, I didn't train enough. I didn't work hard enough. I messed up.
  • I messed up a lot of times. But it's okay because mistakes are a part of learning.
  • I'm not perfect. I mess up. But I'm learning and I'm trying to be better than I was yesterday.

Try these popular words

the and that for you with was this are have not from

Practice

Play the Word Synonyms game · Choose level (start near 1)

Worksheets

Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6

Topics

Guides

Explore more words