mess

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Military, Food

mess1 /mes/ ●●● S2 noun  1  dirty/untidy 脏的/凌乱的 [singular, uncountable]DIRTYUNTIDY if there is a mess somewhere or a place is a mess, things there are dirty or not neatly arranged 脏乱；凌乱 What a mess! 太乱了！ Sorry – the place is a bit of a mess. 对不起——这里有些乱。 When I got home, the house was a complete mess. 我回到家时，屋子里一片狼藉。in a mess British English The burglars left the house in an awful mess. 盗贼把房子弄得一塌糊涂。 You can make cookies if you promise not to make a mess in the kitchen. 如果你答应不把厨房搞得乱七八糟，你可以去做甜饼。clear/clean up the mess Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! 谁弄得这么乱的，赶快把它收拾干净！ She hates mess. 她讨厌到处乱糟糟的。2  problems/difficulties 问题/困难 [singular, uncountable]PROBLEM a situation in which there are a lot of problems and difficulties, especially as a result of mistakes or carelessness 〔尤指因错误或疏忽所造成的〕麻烦，困境，混乱 My life’s such a mess. 我的生活一团糟。in a mess The economy is in a terrible mess. 经济十分混乱。 You got us into this mess, Terry. You can get us out of it. 特里，是你给我们惹的麻烦，你来帮我们解决。 All she could do was pray that, somehow, she might be able to sort out the mess she had got herself into. 她唯有向上天祈祷能有什么办法来解决自己造成的麻烦。3  make a mess of (doing) something to do something badly 把（做）某事搞得一塌糊涂 I feel I’ve made a real mess of my marriage. 我觉得我把自己的婚姻弄得一团糟。 Many people make a mess of handling money. 很多人不会理财。4. PERSON 人be a mess informal if someone is a mess, they look dirty and untidy, or are in a bad emotional state 不整洁，邋遢；精神状态不好5  a mess of something American English informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a lot of something 许多某事物 a mess of fresh fish 很多新鲜的鱼6  army/navy 陆军/海军 [countable]PMDF a room in which members of the army, navy etc eat and drink together 〔军队的〕食堂，餐厅 We had lunch in the officers’ mess. 我们在军官食堂吃了午饭。7  waste substance 排泄物 [countable, uncountable] British English informalHBHHBA solid waste from an animal 〔动物的〕粪便，屎 The dog’s made a mess on the carpet. 狗把屎拉在地毯上。

Examples from the Corpus

mess• The welfare system in this country is a mess.• Her swollen lips burned and she knew she must look a mess.• He looked a mess, his face covered in bruises and dried blood.• If the dog makes a mess, you clean it up!• My hair's a mess.• We love having our grandchildren visit, but they always leave such a mess for us to clean up.• The inside of the hall was a mess of rubble and charred beams.• Dave's life was a mess.• The girls were being taken in at night after we left and what a mess we got in the morning!• There were cups and ashtrays everywhere - what a mess!• California's political map is a chaotic mess of overlapping cities, counties and school districts.• Looking at the economic mess this country is in demonstrates clearly that we need some guidelines and we need them fast.• There is still a way out of this economic mess, if Mr Gorbachev can summon up the courage to take it.• Part of the mess were 2 dead medics who were sleeping on cots in the building.• We spent the morning tidying up the mess after the party.• Eric! Get in here and clean up this mess!• The house is a total mess.clear/clean up the mess• Regulators are busily clearing up the mess.• This keeps him happy until it is time to go to the nursery by which time she has cleared up the mess.• The jubilant crowd joined them in the apartment for a celebration and to help clean up the mess.• But they are merely marginal figures that mostly clean up the mess.• Mr Marland wants action to clean up the mess once and for all.• We need an election and a Labour Government to clear up the mess.• Just write and go back later to clean up the mess.• He then commanded one of his daughters-in-law to clean up the mess.sort out ... mess• How did they sort out the mess?• Now banks and councils have to sort out the mess.• They are the ones who, at present, have to sort out the mess after the degree ceremonies have been long forgotten.• In the end President Mitterrand chose his friend Pierre Berge, head of a fashion house, to sort out the mess.• Its Transitional Assistance Group was utterly inadequate to sort out the mess.• Fortunately, the head keeper arrived before Father, and he managed to sort out the mess.• Now lawyers for all sides are trying to sort out the mess.the officers’ mess• Back at the Barracks Maxim had to wait until after midnight before he had the officers' mess video machine to himself.• He watches them at dinner in the officers' mess and he thinks he knows why they look so satisfied with themselves.• Behrend who entertained us in the Officers' Mess for an evening meal and breakfast.made a mess• The shell hit the roof of the building and made a mess of the inside of the building.• The Conservatives introduced the poll tax and made a mess of implementing it.• She may have made a mess of her life; she may have faced problems beyond your comprehension.• An explosion would have made a mess of them, and matchsticks of that tub.• He made a mess of things in the park, but it's the first time he's got it wrong.• She made a mess of her life.• It may be that Gary McAllister simply made a mess of his penalty kick.• My last chance and I've made a mess of it.

Related topics: Military, Food

mess2 ●●○ S3 verb  1  [transitive] to make something look untidy or dirty 把…搞乱；把…弄脏 He scratched his head and messed his hair even more. 他挠挠头，把头发弄得更乱了。2  [intransitive, transitive] British English if an animal or person messes something, they use the wrong place as a toilet 便溺于〔不是厕所的地方〕；随地便溺 He was so drunk that he messed the bed. 他喝得烂醉，都尿在床上了。3  no messing spoken informal used to say that something was done very easily 轻松；不费吹灰之力 Williams won very comfortably, no messing. 威廉斯赢得很轻松，毫不费力。4. [intransitive]PMDF to have meals in a room where members of the army, navy etc eat together 在军人食堂就餐 PHRASAL VERBS5 mess around (also mess about British English) phrasal verb informal a) LAZYto spend time lazily, doing things slowly and in a way that is not planned 无所事事，漫无目的地度日 He spent his vacation messing around on the farm. 他在农场里东游西荡，无所事事地度过了假期。b) BEHAVEto behave in a silly way when you should be paying attention or doing something sensible 胡闹，瞎闹 SYN fool around Stop messing around and get ready for school. 别再胡闹了，准备上学吧。c) PROBLEM mess somebody around to cause a lot of problems for someone, especially by changing your mind often and not being completely honest 给某人造成麻烦〔尤指常改变自己的主意或不十分坦诚〕 Don’t mess me around – I want the money you promised me. 别糊弄我——把你答应给我的钱拿来。6 mess around with somebody/something (also mess about with somebody/something British English) phrasal verb informal a) SYSEX/HAVE SEX WITHto have a sexual relationship with someone that you should not have a sexual relationship with 和…乱搞，与…有不正当的性关系 She’d been messing around with another man. 她一直在和别的男人乱搞。b) INTERESTEDto spend time playing with something, repairing it etc 摆弄；修理 Dave likes messing around with old cars. 戴夫喜欢摆弄旧汽车。c) to use something and make annoying changes to it 乱动，乱弄 Who’s been messing around with my camera? 谁动了我的相机？7 mess up phrasal verb informal a) mess something ↔ upSPOIL to spoil or ruin something, especially something important or something that has been carefully planned 弄糟，毁掉〔尤指重要物品或精心策划的事情〕 It took me ages to get this right – I don’t want some idiot to mess it up. 我花了好长时间才把这东西弄好——我可不想让哪个白痴把它弄坏。 She felt she’d messed up her whole life. 她感到她把自己整个生活都弄得一团糟。b) mess something ↔ upUNTIDY to make something dirty or untidy 弄脏；弄乱 Who messed up the kitchen? 谁把厨房弄得乱七八糟的？c) to make a mistake and do something badly 出错；搞砸 I think I messed up on the last question. 我想最后一个问题我答错了。mess something ↔ up It doesn’t matter if you mess it up, you can always try again. 要是搞砸了也没关系，你总可以再来一次。d) mess somebody ↔ up to make someone have emotional or mental problems 使某人心情恶劣；使某人精神出问题 I messed up my kids. 我把我的孩子们搞得焦头烂额。e) mess somebody ↔ up American English informal to hurt someone especially by hitting them 伤害某人；殴打某人8 mess with somebody/something phrasal verb informal a) to get involved with someone or something that may cause problems or be dangerous 与〔某人〕有牵连；卷入〔有害的事〕 Don’t mess with drugs. 不要沾上毒品。b) to deceive someone or cause trouble for them 欺骗；给…制造麻烦 You mess with me, and I’ll rip your head off. 你要是糊弄我，我就拧掉你的脑袋。c) to try changing something, especially in a way that damages or spoils it 试图改变〔尤指毁坏某事物〕→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

mess• Above all, why were these chaps messing around with helium-filled contraptions, in an age of routine rocketry?• We were like each other; she knew what she wanted and she didn't mess around.• So even when he'd got the drop on them they could still count on messing him around somehow.• The team improves, and the weaselly son gets too profit-minded and temporarily messes things up by selling Ed.• At first they think the builders have messed up the drains.• There remains the danger that the national farming crisis might mess up the Six Nations fixtures.• Hey, man, are you messing with my Phyllis?• The lowest levels of activities are not messed with.Origin mess1 (1200-1300) Old French mes “food”, from Late Latin missus “course at a meal”, from Latin mittere “to send”

mess1 nounmess2 verb →PHRASAL VERBS1Chinese  

if a mess somewhere is a or Corpus there

mess

I

mess¹ S2 /mes/ noun1.  DIRTY/UNTIDY  [singular, uncountable] if there is a mess somewhere or a place is a mess, things there are dirty or not neatly arranged:
    What a mess!
    Sorry – the place is a bit of a mess.
    When I got home, the house was a complete mess.
    in a mess British English:
    The burglars left the house in an awful mess.
    You can make cookies if you promise not to make a mess in the kitchen.
    clear/clean up the mess
    Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately!
    She hates mess.
2.  PROBLEMS/DIFFICULTIES  [singular, uncountable] a situation in which there are a lot of problems and difficulties, especially as a result of mistakes or carelessness:
    My life’s such a mess.
    in a mess
    The economy is in a terrible mess.
    You got us into this mess, Terry. You can get us out of it.
    All she could do was pray that, somehow, she might be able to sort out the mess she had got herself into.
3. make a mess of (doing) something to do something badly:
    I feel I’ve made a real mess of my marriage.
    Many people make a mess of handling money.
4.  PERSON be a mess informal if someone is a mess, they look dirty and untidy, or are in a bad emotional state
5. a mess of something American English informal a lot of something:
    a mess of fresh fish
6.  ARMY/NAVY  [countable] a room in which members of the army, navy etc eat and drink together:
    We had lunch in the officers’ mess.
7.  WASTE SUBSTANCE  [uncountable and countable] British English informal solid waste from an animal:
    The dog’s made a mess on the carpet.

II

mess² S2 verb
1. [transitive] to make something look untidy or dirty:
    He scratched his head and messed his hair even more.
2. [intransitive and transitive] British English if an animal or person messes something, they use the wrong place as a toilet:
    He was so drunk that he messed the bed.
3. no messing spoken informal used to say that something was done very easily:
    Williams won very comfortably, no messing.
4. [intransitive] to have meals in a room where members of the army, navy etc eat together
mess around (also mess about British English) phrasal verb informal
  1. to spend time lazily, doing things slowly and in a way that is not planned:
    He spent his vacation messing around on the farm.
  2. to behave in a silly way when you should be paying attention or doing something sensible
   SYN  fool around:
    Stop messing around and get ready for school.
  3. mess somebody around to cause a lot of problems for someone, especially by changing your mind often and not being completely honest:
    Don’t mess me around – I want the money you promised me.
mess around with somebody/something (also mess about with somebody/something British English) phrasal verb informal
  1. to have a sexual relationship with someone that you should not have a sexual relationship with:
    She’d been messing around with another man.
  2. to spend time playing with something, repairing it etc:
    Dave likes messing around with old cars.
  3. to use something and make annoying changes to it:
    Who’s been messing around with my camera?
     
mess up phrasal verb informal
  1. mess something ↔ up to spoil or ruin something, especially something important or something that has been carefully planned:
    It took me ages to get this right – I don’t want some idiot to mess it up.
    She felt she’d messed up her whole life.
  2. mess something ↔ up to make something dirty or untidy:
    Who messed up the kitchen?
  3. to make a mistake and do something badly:
    I think I messed up on the last question.
    mess something ↔ up
    It doesn’t matter if you mess it up, you can always try again.
  4. mess somebody ↔ up to make someone have emotional or mental problems:
    I messed up my kids.
  5. mess somebody ↔ up American English informal to hurt someone especially by hitting them
mess with somebody/something phrasal verb informal
  1. to get involved with someone or something that may cause problems or be dangerous:
    Don’t mess with drugs.
  2. to deceive someone or cause trouble for them:
    You mess with me, and I’ll rip your head off.
  3. to try changing something, especially in a way that damages or spoils it