Phrasal verb
mess around
Definition
phrasal verb. to behave in a silly way or spend time doing things that are not useful. You use this when someone is playing instead of working.
phrasal verb. To behave in a frivolous or playful manner; to engage in aimless activity. The verb is primarily intransitive, though it often takes the preposition 'with' when an object is involved.
Examples
“Stop messing around and finish your dinner.”
“The students were messing around at the back of the classroom until the teacher told them to sit down.”
“While the engineers were messing around with the prototype's aesthetic features, they inadvertently overlooked a fundamental flaw in the structural integrity of the chassis.”
Examples
simple
“Stop messing around and finish your dinner.”
contextual
“The students were messing around at the back of the classroom until the teacher told them to sit down.”
complex
“While the engineers were messing around with the prototype's aesthetic features, they inadvertently overlooked a fundamental flaw in the structural integrity of the chassis.”
Usage
This phrase is informal and often carries a slightly negative tone of wasting time.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'mess up' (to ruin something) and 'mess with' (to annoy or interfere) to help students distinguish between these common 'mess' phrasal verbs.
Pitfall
Don't mess around the settings.
Don't mess around with the settings.
When the phrase involves an object being handled or changed, the preposition 'with' is required.
Phrasal verb
Particles
around
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
mess + around
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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