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

There might have been a few glasses consumed when the six-person band known as the True Loves started messing around with putting notes on paper for its latest hit. —Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024

The 49ers might have messed around all training camp and preseason, but there was no tomfoolery on display Monday night, as the Niners punched the Jets in the mouth early and refused to relent for a single moment. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2024

Because the gold medal winning women's gymnastics team name is not messing around. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 31 July 2024

And because Tula doesn’t mess around, the brand put the primer to the test through several subject trials. —Maya Gandara, StyleCaster, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1