mess around
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb: 1. To spend time in a relaxed, aimless, or unproductive way: To engage in activities without a serious purpose or clear goal, often involving minor tasks or idle behavior. 2. To behave in a silly, playful, or unserious manner: To act foolishly or not take something seriously. 3. To experiment or tinker with something in a casual way: To handle or try to use something without a specific plan or deep expertise.
Usage and Examples
- Spending time idly:
- We didn't do anything important; we just messed around at home all day.
- He spent the afternoon messing around in the garage.
- Behaving in a silly or unserious way:
- Stop messing around and pay attention to the teacher!
- They were just messing around and didn't mean to break the window.
- Experimenting casually:
- I like to mess around with different recipes on the weekend.
- He learned to code by messing around with an old computer.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- "Mess around with (someone)": To tease, deceive, or treat someone in a frivolous or disrespectful way.
- Don't mess around with me; just tell me the truth.
- "Mess around with (something)": To handle, use, or interfere with something, often implying a lack of proper care or authorization.
- You shouldn't mess around with the electrical wiring if you're not an electrician.
Variants and Related Words
- Mess about (verb, chiefly British): A synonym with identical meanings to "mess around."
- The old lady is usually messing about in her little house.
- Muck around/about (verb, informal): A close synonym, especially common in British English.
- Fool around (verb): Very similar in meaning, often implying playful or silly behavior.
Synonyms
- Potter about (verb): To do small, unimportant tasks in a relaxed way.
- Dabble (verb): To take a casual, not serious interest in an activity.
- Loiter (verb): To stand or wait around idly without purpose.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Horse around (verb): To play or behave in a rough, noisy, and playful way.
- The kids were horsing around in the backyard.
- Play around (verb): Often interchangeable with "mess around," especially regarding experimentation or unserious behavior.
- She played around with different design ideas.
Related Idioms
- Kick around (verb): To discuss ideas informally or to spend time waiting.
- We kicked around a few concepts for the new project.
- Piddle around (verb, informal): To waste time doing trivial things.
- I just piddled around the house all morning.
Verb
- do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
- The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house