mess around

verb

messed around; messing around; messes around

intransitive verb

1

: to waste time : dawdle, idle

2

a

: associate

didn't mess around with gangs

b

: flirt, philander

Synonyms of mess around

• play
• fool around
• goof (around)
• fiddle (around)
• hang about
• putter (around)
• potter (around)
• monkey (around)
• kick around

Examples of mess around in a Sentence

spent the vacation day just messing around

a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women

Recent Examples on the Web

But then Jeanty had to mess around and heal and whatnot, which was really quite rude. — Gary Davenport, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Both of France’s sons seem to appreciate imaginative play over messing around with action figures, something that makes perfect sense given France’s own love for the arts. — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Take note at the point in a song when the real dancers stop messing around. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Shortly after Bednar began messing around with a splitter, Eric Junge, San Diego’s pitching coordinator, informed him that Hideo Nomo had arrived in camp. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mess around

• aboveground
• battleground
• belowground
• paperbound
• turnaround
• ultrasound
• underground
• wraparound
• abound
• aground
• astound
• background