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

So, in America, ridiculously, much value is attached to jobs that give you the privilege of being messed around by UnitedHealthcare and its competitors. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

Grab this best-selling handheld vacuum from Black and Decker to tackle crumbs, dust, and more quick messes around the house. —Isabel Garcia, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025

The Los Angeles fires are similarly pouring smoke and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, with the local topography—mountains that trap haze in the Los Angeles Basin—keeping the mess around. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025

The mess around Dani Olmo at Barcelona is piling pressure on club president Joan Laporta. —Phil Hay, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1