welter

/ˈwɛltər/

Other forms: weltering; weltered; welters

Use the noun welter to describe an enormous, messy pile, like the jumble of papers, coffee mugs, pens, and food wrappers on the desk of the messiest person in the office.

Welter can also be a verb — the items in the pile on the messy desk welter every time someone tries to pull something out. This means they roll and get tossed around. Maybe the person isn't as messy as you think. Possibly his projects keep him so weltered — meaning "deeply involved" — that he doesn't have the time or energy to deal with the mess.

Definitions of welter

1. noun

   a confused multitude of things
   synonyms: clutter, fuddle, jumble, mare's nest, muddle, smother

   types:

   rummage

   a jumble of things to be given away

   type of:

   disorder, disorderliness

   a condition in which things are not in their expected places
2. verb

   toss, roll, or rise and fall in an uncontrolled way
   “The shipwrecked survivors weltered in the sea for hours”

   type of:

   roll over

   make a rolling motion or turn
3. verb

   roll around, "pigs were wallowing in the mud"
   synonyms: wallow

   type of:

   move

   move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
4. verb

   be immersed in
   “welter in work”