Learn English – the meaning of “what a mess!”

meaning

I searched for "what a mess" but I didn't find any definition for this phrase. So, what does it mean, and where is it used? For example if you've heard horrible news about an earthquake, is it common to say "what a mess!"?

Best Answer

"What a mess!" intensifies that this is a mess. It's not a fixed saying, it's just one of what's many meanings - an intensifier.

From Collins dictionary's 3rd definition of "what":

(intensifier; used in exclamations) ⇒ "what a good book!"

"What a [something]!" is like saying "This is very much a [something]!". "What a..." can be used with almost anything:

  • (you walk into the kitchen and see a child has dropped a bowl of cake mix all over the floor)
    • What a mess!
  • (you walk into the kitchen and see a child has made a perfect cake, then cleaned and tidied everything up perfectly)
    • What a nice surprise!
  • (you walk into the kitchen and see that the whole of this side of the house has been destroyed in an earthquake)
    • What a disaster!
  • (you walk into the kitchen and hear on the radio that 200 people died in an earthquake)
    • What a tragedy!

The only times you'd expect something as serious as an earthquake to be described as a mess would be:

  • Dramatic understatement
  • If you were focussing on some detail that could be described as a mess - for example, maybe if a government responded to an earthquake in a disorganised way.
Related Topic