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

• doodle
• fiddle (around)
• fool around
• fribble
• goof (around)
• hang about [British]
• kick around
• monkey (around)
• play
• potter (around)
• putter (around)
• trifle

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

The results are often imperfect, but since the camera is digital, a photographer can mess around and get instant gratification. —Brendan Nystedt, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2024

Due to various issues, this was messed around with at release, and the fourth episode was given a new dub with David Hayter of Metal Gear Solid fame voicing Isamu. —Ollie Barder, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Packers quarterback Jordan Love — looking for deep-shot touchdowns instead of controlling the ball with a lead — messed around and offered the Niners a handful of opportunities to make Sunday’s contest a competitive game. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2024

In a recent ranking of the cheapest U.S. cities for remote workers to live in, Texas didn't mess around. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1