mess
mess — 名詞
1. a condition in which a place or a collection of things is dirty, disorganized, a
髒亂
骯髒混亂的狀態
a condition in which a place or a collection of things is dirty, disorganized, and out of place — like a kitchen after cooking all day, or a child's room with clothes and toys scattered everywhere.
Mira's bedroom was such a mess that she could not find her school uniform.
Mira 的房間亂成一團，她根本找不到自己的校服。
be a mess — describing a state
The kitchen became a complete mess after Christopher tried to bake a cake.
Christopher 試著烤蛋糕之後，廚房變得一團糟。
become a + adj + mess
After the party, empty bottles and dirty plates lay everywhere in a terrible mess.
派對結束後，空瓶子和髒盤子亂七八糟地到處都是。
Who is going to clean up this mess in the bathroom?
誰來清理浴室裡的這片髒亂？
The children left the living room in a mess, so their mother made them tidy it.
孩子們把客廳弄得一團亂，媽媽只好叫他們收拾乾淨。
文法句型
a + mess
in a + mess
be a + mess
用法筆記
Often used with 'a' in the singular ('a mess') even when referring to a general state. Frequently found in the fixed phrase 'in a mess' (describing a location's condition) and 'be a mess' (describing a person or thing).
常見錯誤
2. the solid waste that comes out of an animal's body — usually referring to a pet'
糞便
動物固體排泄物
the solid waste that comes out of an animal's body — usually referring to a pet's excrement that needs to be cleaned up.
The dog had left a mess on the living room carpet.
那隻狗在客廳地毯上大便。
leave a mess — common collocation
Kian asked Mira to pick up the puppy's mess from the garden.
Kian 請 Mira 去撿花園裡小狗的大便。
The park had a sign asking owners to clean up their dog's mess.
公園裡有告示牌要求飼主清理狗大便。
Sari noticed her cat had made a mess in the corner of the garage.
Sari 發現她的貓在車庫角落排便了。
文法句型
leave + a/possesive + mess
clean up + mess
用法筆記
Primarily used for pet animals (dogs, cats). Not used for human waste. The expression 'dog mess' is very common in public notices in British English.
常見錯誤
3. a set of troublesome circumstances that arise when things go badly due to poor o
困境
一團亂的麻煩局面
a set of troublesome circumstances that arise when things go badly due to poor organization or bad decisions — such as a company struggling with huge debts or a traveller stranded by booking errors.
The company's finances were in a mess after the manager quit without warning.
經理無預警辭職後，公司的財務陷入一團亂。
in a mess — describing a difficult situation
Lukas got into a real mess when he missed the last train home.
Lukas 錯過了最後一班回家的火車，陷入了真正的困境。
get into a mess — entering a difficult situation
The whole project turned into a mess because nobody checked the sales data.
整個計畫因為沒有人檢查銷售數據而變得一團糟。
Shanti spent three hours sorting out the mess at the bank after the computer error.
Shanti 花了三個小時處理銀行電腦出錯造成的混亂。
The new government inherited an economic mess from the previous administration.
新政府從前一屆政府接手了一個經濟爛攤子。
- chaos
stronger — suggests total disorder and confusion
- shambles
informal British English; emphasizes failure or collapse
- predicament
more formal; an unpleasant situation that is hard to get out of
- order
a state where things are well-organized and under control
文法句型
in a + mess
get into a + mess
sort out a + mess
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'get into' (entering the situation), 'sort out' or 'clear up' (resolving it), and 'leave' (creating it for someone else). This sense is strongly informal — use 'crisis' or 'difficulty' in formal writing.
常見錯誤
4. a person who is experiencing severe emotional or practical problems and cannot m
問題人物
生活一團糟的人
a person who is experiencing severe emotional or practical problems and cannot manage their life well — for example, someone going through a painful divorce or struggling with deep personal difficulties.
After losing his job, Caleb became a complete mess and stopped seeing his friends.
Caleb 失業後整個人徹底崩潰，也不再和朋友見面了。
become a mess — entering a troubled state
Élise was a total mess the week after her grandfather passed away.
Élise 在她祖父過世後的那個星期情緒完全失控。
The therapist told Sari that after a big life change, feeling like a mess is normal.
心理師告訴 Sari，經歷重大人生變遷後覺得自己一團糟是完全正常的。
After failing his driving test, Lukas was such a mess that his mother bought him ice cream.
Lukas 駕照考試沒過之後整個人一蹶不振，他媽媽只好買冰淇淋哄他。
- wreck
even more informal and dramatic than 'mess'
- basket case
very informal, potentially offensive; someone unable to function
文法句型
be a + mess
feel like a + mess
用法筆記
Always needs an article ('a mess'). Strongly informal — cannot be used in formal or professional descriptions of mental health. Use 'struggling', 'distressed', or 'in a difficult period' in serious contexts.
常見錯誤
5. the result of doing something very badly, so that it fails or is spoiled — used
搞砸
把某事做得非常糟糕
the result of doing something very badly, so that it fails or is spoiled — used in the fixed phrase 'make a mess of' something, such as an exam, a job, or a relationship.
Xiu made a real mess of her presentation by reading straight from the slides.
Xiu 的簡報做得一團糟，因為她從頭到尾照著投影片念。
make a mess of — fixed phrase for botching
Christopher made a mess of the repair job and had to call a professional plumber.
Christopher 把維修工作搞得亂七八糟，最後只好找專業水電工來。
The team made a complete mess of their first attempt to launch the product.
團隊第一次嘗試推出產品時徹底搞砸了。
Astrid made an absolute mess of the cake recipe by adding salt instead of sugar.
Astrid 做蛋糕時把鹽當成糖加進去，結果徹底失敗了。
- succeed at
to achieve the desired outcome
文法句型
make a mess of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always used in 'make a mess of + noun phrase'. The mess here is a result, not a physical state. Can be intensified with adjectives like 'real', 'complete', 'absolute', 'terrible'.
常見錯誤
6. a facility on a military base where soldiers, sailors, and air force personnel g
軍用餐廳
軍隊成員用餐的廳舍
a facility on a military base where soldiers, sailors, and air force personnel go to eat together and relax when off duty.
The soldiers ate dinner in the mess hall at six o'clock every evening.
士兵們每天晚上六點在軍用餐廳吃晚餐。
mess hall — common compound
The officers' mess had long wooden tables and a fireplace at one end.
軍官餐廳裡有長長的木桌，一端還有壁爐。
New recruits learn the rules of the mess before their first meal there.
新兵在第一次在那裡吃飯之前要先學會餐廳的規矩。
The navy's senior officers gathered in the wardroom mess for the celebration dinner.
海軍的高級軍官聚集在軍官餐廳裡參加慶祝晚宴。
- mess hall
more common term for the general military dining facility
- canteen
a general dining facility, not limited to military
- dining hall
neutral term for any institutional dining room
文法句型
the + mess
officers' mess
mess hall
用法筆記
Always used in a military context. Different branches use specific terms: 'officers' mess', 'sergeants' mess', 'wardroom mess' (navy). The compound 'mess hall' is common for the general eating area.
7. a large room in a school, university, or workplace where people eat their meals
公共食堂
學校或公司的大型用餐室
a large room in a school, university, or workplace where people eat their meals together.
The university's student mess serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
大學的學生食堂每天供應早、午、晚餐。
The staff mess on the second floor is reserved for teachers and administrators.
二樓的員工餐廳只開放給老師和行政人員。
staff mess — fixed compound
Lunch in the school mess costs less than three pounds.
在學校餐廳吃午餐花不到三英鎊。
The college mess was crowded with students talking noisily between classes.
學院餐廳裡擠滿了在課間大聲聊天的學生。
- dining hall
more internationally common; a large room for communal meals
- cafeteria
a self-service dining area; more common in American English
- canteen
British English; a dining facility in a workplace or school
文法句型
the + mess
student mess
staff mess
用法筆記
Primarily British English. In other varieties of English, 'dining hall' or 'cafeteria' is more common. This sense is distinct from the military use (noun sense 6); it refers to civilian institutional dining rooms.
8. a large amount or number of something, especially when it appears disorganized o
大量
數量很多且雜亂的某物
a large amount or number of something, especially when it appears disorganized or abundant — like a pile of paperwork or a tangle of wires.
There was a whole mess of paperwork waiting on the manager's desk.
經理桌上堆了滿滿一大堆文書工作。
a whole mess of — intensifying the quantity
Caleb found a mess of old photographs and letters in his grandmother's attic.
Caleb 在奶奶的閣樓裡發現了一大堆老照片和信件。
The storm left a mess of fallen branches and leaves across the garden.
暴風雨過後，花園裡到處都是掉落的樹枝和落葉。
Under the kitchen sink was a mess of pipes and cleaning supplies all tangled together.
廚房水槽底下纏繞著一大堆水管和清潔用品。
- a pile of
common; suggests things stacked or heaped
- a heap of
suggests an untidy mound of things
- a jumble of
emphasizes the mixed, disorganized quality
文法句型
a mess of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always in the pattern 'a mess of + noun phrase'. This sense is primarily American English and informal. Unlike sense 1, it focuses on abundance rather than untidiness, though the two often overlap. The 'mess' here is the collection itself, not a state.
常見錯誤
mess — 動詞
1. to make a place or group of things dirty and disordered — like leaving clothes o
弄亂
使某處變得骯髒無序
to make a place or group of things dirty and disordered — like leaving clothes on the floor, spreading paperwork across a desk, or letting toys cover a room.
The kids messed the playroom just five minutes after Sari had finished cleaning it.
Sari 才剛打掃完，孩子們五分鐘內就把遊戲室又弄得亂七八糟。
Who messed my desk while I was away at lunch?
我中午去吃午餐的時候，誰把我的桌子弄亂了？
Please do not mess the kitchen while I am cooking dinner.
我在做晚餐的時候，請不要把廚房弄亂。
The puppy messed the entire living room while nobody was watching.
小狗趁沒人注意的時候把整個客廳弄得一團亂。
- disarrange
formal; to put things out of their proper order
- untidy
less common as a verb; chiefly British
- trash
more destructive; to deliberately make a mess or damage
文法句型
mess + noun phrase
mess + up + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with 'up' as a phrasal verb ('mess up') with the same meaning but more common in everyday speech. The bare transitive form ('mess the room') is less common than 'mess up the room' in informal British English.
常見錯誤
2. when an animal releases solid waste somewhere it should not, requiring cleaning
隨地排泄
動物到處排便
when an animal releases solid waste somewhere it should not, requiring cleaning up.
The neighbour's dog has messed on our front lawn again this morning.
鄰居的狗今天早上又在我們家前院的草坪上大便了。
mess on [place] — intransitive + location preposition
Isabela's rabbit messed in the corner of its cage overnight.
Isabela 的兔子昨晚在籠子角落大便了。
The cat always messes in the same spot behind the sofa.
那隻貓總是在沙發後面的同一個地方上廁所。
Someone did not walk their dog and it messed on the pavement outside the shop.
有人沒有蹓狗，結果狗在商店外面的人行道上大便了。
文法句型
mess + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot 'mess something' in this sense. The location follows a preposition ('on', 'in', 'behind', etc.). The phrasal verb 'mess up' does NOT share this meaning.