What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Snarl vs Mess - What's the difference?

snarl | mess |

As nouns the difference between snarl and mess

is that snarl is a knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate complication; embarrassing difficulty while mess is (obsolete) mass; church service or mess can be a disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; a disorder.

As verbs the difference between snarl and mess

is that snarl is to form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface while mess is (label) to take meals with a mess or mess can be (label) to make a mess of.

snarl

English

(wikipedia snarl)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate complication; embarrassing difficulty.
  • The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
  • A growl, as of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds
  • Synonyms

    * (entangled situation) imbroglio

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.
  • To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots.
  • to snarl a skein of thread
  • * Spenser
  • And from her back her garments she did tear, / And from her head oft rent her snarled hair
  • To embarrass; to ensnare.
  • * Latimer
  • [the] question that they would have snarled him with
  • To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
  • To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.
  • * Dryden
  • It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted.

    Antonyms

    * unsnarl

    Anagrams

    * ----

    mess

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), partly from (etyl) . More at (m); see also (m).

    Noun

    (es)
  • (obsolete) Mass; church service.
  • A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; also, the food given to an animal at one time.
  • A mess of pottage.
  • * Milton
  • At their savoury dinner set / Of herbs and other country messes .
  • A number of persons who eat together, and for whom food is prepared in common; especially, persons in the military or naval service who eat at the same table.
  • the wardroom mess
  • * 1610 , , IV. iv. 11:
  • But that our feasts / In every mess have folly, and the feeders / Digest it with accustom,
  • A set of four (from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner).
  • (Latimer)
  • (US) The milk given by a cow at one milking.
  • Derived terms
    * Eton mess * lose the number of one's mess * mess hall * mess up * Mills Mess

    Verb

  • (label) To take meals with a mess.
  • (label) To belong to a mess.
  • (label) To eat (with others).
  • (label) To supply with a mess.
  • Etymology 2

    Perhaps a corruption of (etyl) , compare (muss), or derived from Etymology 1 "mixed foods, as for animals".

    Noun

    (-)
  • A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; a disorder.
  • (label) A large quantity or number.
  • (label) Excrement.
  • Synonyms
    * see also

    Verb

    (es)
  • (label) To make a mess of.
  • (label) To throw into confusion.
  • (label) To interfere.
  • Derived terms
    (terms derived from "mess") * messy * mess around * mess up * mess with

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----