mess about
phrasal verb
messed about; messing about; messes about
Definition of mess about
British, informal
1
: to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious : to waste time
We just messed about all afternoon. She spent the evening messing about on the computer. It's time we stopped messing about and got busy.
2
: to have sex with someone who is not one's husband, wife, or regular partner
His wife discovered that he was messing about (on her).
—often + with Her husband discovered that she was messing about with her assistant.
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“Mess about.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20about. Accessed 18 Aug. 2022.
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