ENGLISH
REFERENCE

messed

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈmɛst// UK //mˈɛst// messed

v. to make a mistake or handle a situation badly. You often use this when you have caused a problem or made something dirty or untidy.

v. to handle a situation poorly or cause a state of disorder. Frequently used in the past tense or as a past participle to describe a failed outcome or a cluttered environment.


SIMPLE

I really messed up my job interview yesterday.

CONTEXTUAL

The heavy rain messed up our plans for a weekend hiking trip in the mountains.

COMPLEX

The technician admitted he had messed with the settings, inadvertently causing the entire server network to crash during peak hours.

Synonyms
Usage

Often functions as part of the phrasal verb 'mess up' or 'mess with'. When used to mean 'interfered', it typically takes the preposition 'with'.

Pitfall

I messed the examI messed up the examWhen meaning 'to fail' or 'to do poorly', the verb requires the particle 'up'.

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