Collocations for mess - noun

absolute, complete, real, right, total | appalling, awful, bloody
(taboo),

nasty, terrible | confusing | tangled, untidy
Her hair was a tangled mess.

gooey, slimy, soggy, sticky | emotional
He''s an emotional mess since his girlfriend left him.

economic, financial

leave, make
Must you always leave such a mess? | She felt she was making a terrible mess of her life.

clean up, clear up, tidy up, wipe up | feel
I felt a mess.

look | create, get sb into
Who got us into this mess in the first place?

deal with, get sb out of, sort out

in a ~
The kitchen''s in an awful mess.

~ of
There was a soggy mess of porridge on the table.