2mess verb
messes; messed; mess·ing Meaning:
mess around or Brit mess about
[phrasal verb] informal 1 : to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious : to waste time
▪ We just messed around [=fooled around] all afternoon. ▪ She spent the evening messing around on the computer. ▪ It's time we stopped messing around and got busy. 2 : to have sex with someone who is not your husband, wife, or regular partner
▪ His wife discovered that he was messing around [=fooling around] (on her). — often + with ▪ His wife discovered that he was messing around with his secretary. 3 mess (someone) around/about Brit : to cause problems or trouble for (someone) especially by making changes that are not expected
▪ I don't like being messed about this way! 4 mess around/about with (something) a : to use or do (something) in a way that is not very serious
▪ I'm not really a painter; I just like to mess around with paints. ▪ She spent the evening messing around with [=fooling around with] the computer.
b : to handle or play with (something) in a careless or foolish way
▪ Stop messing around [=fiddling around] with the stereo.
▪ We just messed around [=fooled around] all afternoon. ▪ She spent the evening messing around on the computer. ▪ It's time we stopped messing around and got busy.
▪ His wife discovered that he was messing around [=fooling around] (on her). — often + with ▪ His wife discovered that he was messing around with his secretary.
▪ I don't like being messed about this way!
▪ I'm not really a painter; I just like to mess around with paints. ▪ She spent the evening messing around with [=fooling around with] the computer.
b : to handle or play with (something) in a careless or foolish way
▪ Stop messing around [=fiddling around] with the stereo.
mess up
[phrasal verb] informal 1 : to make a mistake : to do something incorrectly
▪ About halfway into the recipe, I realized that I had messed up, and I had to start over. — often + on ▪ She's afraid she'll mess up on the test. ▪ I messed up on my first attempt. 2 mess (something) up or mess up (something) a : to make mistakes when you are doing or making (something)
▪ He messed up the speech. ▪ I messed up my first attempt and had to try again.
b : to make (something) dirty or untidy : to make a mess of (something)
▪ Don't mess up my room. ▪ The wind messed up her hair. = Her hair got messed up in the wind.
c : to damage or ruin (something)
▪ She's really messed up her life. ▪ His life has been messed up by his drug addiction. : to damage or change (something) so that it does not work properly ▪ I don't know what I did, but I somehow messed up the computer. ▪ My watch has been messed up [=has not worked properly] ever since I dropped it in the sink. ▪ The mountains messed up the cell phone signal. 3 mess (someone) up or mess up (someone) a US : to beat and injure (someone)
▪ He got messed up [=roughed up, beaten up] by a gang of bullies. ▪ They messed him up pretty badly.
b : to make (someone) very upset and unhappy
▪ Breaking up with her boyfriend has really messed her up. ▪ She's been pretty messed up ever since she broke up with her boyfriend.
▪ About halfway into the recipe, I realized that I had messed up, and I had to start over. — often + on ▪ She's afraid she'll mess up on the test. ▪ I messed up on my first attempt.
▪ He messed up the speech. ▪ I messed up my first attempt and had to try again.
b : to make (something) dirty or untidy : to make a mess of (something)
▪ Don't mess up my room. ▪ The wind messed up her hair. = Her hair got messed up in the wind.
c : to damage or ruin (something)
▪ She's really messed up her life. ▪ His life has been messed up by his drug addiction. : to damage or change (something) so that it does not work properly ▪ I don't know what I did, but I somehow messed up the computer. ▪ My watch has been messed up [=has not worked properly] ever since I dropped it in the sink. ▪ The mountains messed up the cell phone signal.
▪ He got messed up [=roughed up, beaten up] by a gang of bullies. ▪ They messed him up pretty badly.
b : to make (someone) very upset and unhappy
▪ Breaking up with her boyfriend has really messed her up. ▪ She's been pretty messed up ever since she broke up with her boyfriend.
mess with
[phrasal verb] informal 1 mess with (someone) : to cause trouble for (someone) : to deal with (someone) in a way that may cause anger or violence
▪ I wouldn't want to mess with him. ▪ You'd better not be messing with me. 2 mess with (something) a chiefly US : to deal with or be involved with (something that causes or that could cause trouble)
▪ The company doesn't want to mess with small distributors. ▪ He doesn't want to mess with cocaine anymore.
b : to handle or play with (something) in a careless way : to mess around with (something)
▪ Don't mess with the camera. 3 ◊In very informal English, something that messes with your mind/head causes you to feel confused.
▪ The movie messes with your mind and you don't find out what's going on until the end.
▪ I wouldn't want to mess with him. ▪ You'd better not be messing with me.
▪ The company doesn't want to mess with small distributors. ▪ He doesn't want to mess with cocaine anymore.
b : to handle or play with (something) in a careless way : to mess around with (something)
▪ Don't mess with the camera.
▪ The movie messes with your mind and you don't find out what's going on until the end.
