Synonyms of messing around

messing around

verb

present participle of mess around

1

as in fiddling (around)

to spend time in aimless activity

spent the vacation day just messing around

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fiddling (around)
• playing
• fooling around
• puttering (around)
• goofing (around)
• pottering (around)
• monkeying (around)
• hanging about
• kicking around
• hanging (around or out)
• doodling
• trifling
• fribbling
• horsing around
• clowning (around)
• lounging
• idling
• diddling (with)
• loafing
• dawdling
• lolling
• tinkering
• dallying
• dillydallying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• setting (to)
• settling (down)
• buckling (down)
• knuckling down

2

as in flirting

to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flirting
• frivoling
• coquetting
• trifling
• toying
• playing (with)
• leading on
• putting on
• stringing along
• dallying
• wooing
• vamping
• kidding
• teasing
• courting
• mashing
• ribbing
• fooling
• razzing
• joshing
• manipulating

3

as in traveling

to come or be together as friends

if you continue to mess around with such narrow-minded boobs, you'll begin to think and act like them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• traveling
• hanging (around or out)
• associating
• hooking up
• rubbing shoulders (with)
• running
• rubbing elbows (with)
• palling (around)
• connecting
• taking up with
• falling in with
• mixing
• joining
• collaborating
• being friends with
• keeping company (with)
• mingling
• bonding
• relating
• sorting
• getting along
• befriending
• getting on
• consorting
• fraternizing
• chumming
• hobnobbing
• companying
• cooperating
• consociating
• coupling
• rallying
• linking
• grouping
• tying
• attaching
• allying
• clubbing
• socializing
• teaming
• siding
• wedding
• affiliating
• knotting
• interrelating
• leaguing
• colluding
• confederating
• banding
• conjoining
• ganging
• friending

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoiding
• shunning
• splitting (up)
• snubbing
• breaking up
• alienating
• estranging
• dispersing
• splitting
• cold-shouldering
• disbanding
• severing
• divorcing
• dissociating
• sundering
• disjoining
• disuniting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of messing around

There will be no more messing around with draggy eye pencils or the emperor’s new eye shadows. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 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

These folks aren’t messing around; everyone is willing to shell out for the best possible experience. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026

And, the school wasn’t messing around with the secretiveness of the open practice for those who either received a ticket or media members in attendance. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

The buckle on the Jordan clogs is a great touch, and the arch support isn’t messing around. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 9 Aug. 2026

The Chicago Cubs weren’t messing around at the trade deadline. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026