Reading Theme:

Language:

Font Size:

📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Mess: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：a state of disorder (mess)

mess 🔊

/mɛs/

n./v.

Things in an untidy or dirty state; a situation that is confused and disorderly.

Mess definition illustrated by a chaotic child's playroom with toys and books.

a state of disorder 🔊

➕

/ə steɪt əv dɪsˈɔːdər/

n./v.

Refers to a condition where things are untidy, dirty, or in a confused and disorganized arrangement.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old French 'mes' (food portion), evolving to denote disorder or untidiness.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'mess' as 'messed-up'; the double 's' resembles tangled wires, symbolizing disorder.

📖 Example

After the kids finished playing, the room was a complete mess with toys scattered everywhere. 🔊 Following the children's playtime, the room became utterly disorganized with toys spread all over.

🔗 Collocations

a complete mess – an entirely disordered situation

make a mess – to create disorder or untidiness

clean up the mess – to restore order by tidying

🔄 Synonyms

chaos (n.) – a state of complete disorder and confusion

clutter (n.) – a collection of things lying about in an untidy state

disarray (n.) – a state of disorganization or untidiness

🚫 Antonyms

order (n.) – a state of neat arrangement or organization

tidiness (n.) – the quality of being neat and organized

neatness (n.) – the state of being tidy and in good order

🌱 Derivatives

messy (adj.) – untidy or dirty

messily (adv.) – in a messy manner

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'missus' (a course of a meal), via Old French. In military contexts, it referred to a group eating together, often leading to chaotic scenes, hence the modern meaning of a disordered state.

Meaning 2：to make untidy or spoil (mess)

mess 🔊

/mɛs/

n./v.

To make something untidy or dirty; to spoil or ruin something.

To mess something up shown by hands disrupting a neat pile of papers.

to make untidy or spoil 🔊

➕

/tu meɪk ʌnˈtaɪdi ɔr spɔɪl/

n./v.

To cause something to become untidy, dirty, or ruined; to disrupt or damage order.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Be careful not to mess up the documents I just sorted on the desk. 🔊 Ensure you do not disorder the documents I recently organized on the desk.

🔗 Collocations

mess up – to make a mistake or cause disorder

mess with – to interfere with or tamper with something

mess around – to behave in a silly or aimless way

🔄 Synonyms

disorder (v.) – to disturb the order of something

spoil (v.) – to diminish the quality or condition of something

ruin (v.) – to severely damage or destroy something

🚫 Antonyms

tidy (v.) – to make neat and organized

organize (v.) – to arrange in a systematic order

clean (v.) – to remove dirt or disorder

🌱 Derivatives

messy (adj.) – untidy or dirty