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to mess

to mess

4.2
To handle something in a way that causes damage or problems
  • verb
  • /mɛs/
  • Informal
translation icon : toquetear
  • If one element is messed up, a child's learning could be put on hold.

Imagine what a how that would mess with your child's head.

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Examples

  • But the only question... is, how will we mess this all up?

  • But I don't want to mess up your process.

  • This is looking more and more like we messed this up.

  • Are you messing with me?

  • Don't mess up my wedding, man.

  • So as it turns out, this person didn't mess with the recipe at all.

  • So I've messed with this graph quite a bit.

  • Stop messing with that.

  • If you continue to mess with the settings, it could lead to unexpected errors.

  • He didn't mean to mess with her emotions when he said that.

Synonyms

to interfere
vsto mess
487 3.5

To get involved in a situation and make things not work as they should

also covers damaging handling, not only involvement
to disrupt
vsto mess
269 4.4

To interrupt normal activity and cause disorder

focuses on stopping progress rather than hands-on harmful handling
to fuck with
vsto mess
  • Offensive
225 9.9

To mess with someone's things or plans on purpose to cause trouble

is broader, also including poor handling that causes damage rather than mere annoyance
to disturb
vsto mess
97 2.1

Move something and make it untidy or broken

stresses physical action, while the key also covers poor handling causing harm
to mix up
vsto mess
  • Informal
65 2.7

To make people confused and things messy

has broader sense of harmful handling not limited to confusion
to mess up
vsto mess
  • Informal
52 3.0

To make something untidy, dirty, or not in the right place

is more about interfering or damaging through handling rather than just untidiness
to fuck it up
vsto mess
  • Offensive
37 9.9

To do something badly and ruin how it turns out

can also mean interfere to cause damage beyond mere error
to mishandle
vsto mess
20 4.9

Deal with something badly so it causes problems or damage

includes interfering as well as poor handling
to foul up
vsto mess
  • Informal
8 6.4

To make a mistake that ruins something because you are careless

often implies poor management causing harm rather than simple interruption
to muss
vsto mess
6 7.9

To make hair, clothes, or a surface messy

typically describes untidiness rather than causing real damage or problems
to muck up
vsto mess
  • Informal
5 7.6

To ruin something by making mistakes or doing it badly

focuses more on interference or intentional tampering than carelessness
to louse up
vsto mess
  • Informal
4 8.1

To make a mess of a plan or task by doing it badly

can also describe interfering that creates damage rather than simple error
to fluff
vsto mess
  • Informal
2 5.4

To make a mistake especially by forgetting words on stage

is broader, covering deliberate interference or harmful handling too
to botch up
vsto mess
  • Informal
2 6.7

Do a job badly and make a mess of it

can mean causing harm by interference rather than clumsy error
to create a mess
vsto mess
1 2.1

Make a place messy so things are not in order

is broader, also meaning active interference that causes damage or problems
to fuck shit up
vsto mess
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To cause a lot of damage and chaos to a place or thing

is more extreme, while the key covers both interference and harmful handling
to ball up
vsto mess
  • Informal
1 7.9

To do something badly and ruin how it turns out

can also mean active interference causing problems rather than simple mistakes
to bollocks up
vsto mess
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To do something so badly that it fails

may include deliberate interference that causes damage rather than mere sloppiness
to snarl up
vsto mess
  • UK
1 7.8

Make things tangled or blocked so progress slows

is narrower, focusing on tangles rather than general damaging handling
to bollix
vsto mess
  • Slang
9.9

To ruin something by doing it badly

often overlaps with interfering actions that cause harm, not only bungling
to misfuck
vsto mess
  • Offensive
9.9

To ruin something completely by making serious mistakes

may instead describe forceful destructive interference rather than carelessness
to play hob
vsto mess
  • Archaic
9.9

To cause problems and confusion in a plan or system

is often about handling that creates damage rather than mere disruption

Antonyms

352 2.3

Work done to fix something that is broken

Idioms

9 1.6

Something that is untidy and not in order

2 8.4

A very large, messy situation that is hard to fix

mess of pottage
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small thing of little value taken instead of something better

To make a confusing or difficult situation clear

To give up something very important for a small, quick gain

Phrasal Verbs

to mess up
  • Informal
597 2.8

To make a mistake that causes a problem

to mess around
  • Informal
111 4.1

To spend time doing playful or unplanned activities

to mess up
  • Informal
52 3.0

To make something untidy, dirty, or not in the right place

3 5.9

To spend time somewhere doing nothing special

Make a place messy so things are not in order

to unshit the mess
  • Offensive
9.9

To fix a serious problem left behind in a project or system

Compounds

mess hall
  • Jargon
27 3.4

A large room where people in the military eat

mess-up
  • Informal
9 5.1

A situation that is badly organized and full of mistakes

2 3.9

A set of metal plates, cups, and spoons that soldiers or campers use to eat outdoors

1 6.9

A dining room for military officers to eat and meet

sticky mess
  • Informal
1 5.5

A difficult, unpleasant situation that is hard to fix

1 3.7

A dirty, greasy stain or spill that is hard to clean

A tangled group of cables that looks untidy

mess jacket
  • Jargon
8.4

Short jacket worn by military officers at formal dinners

widdle mess
  • Baby Talk
9.9

A small untidy area made by a child or pet

How Damaging

to destroy
1.0
to damage
885 1.4
to mess
  • Informal
4.2
to tamper
113 4.9
to interfere
487 3.5

Surface Forms

mess infinitive
messed past
messed past participle
messing present participle
messes third person singular

Etymology

To mess with something, meaning to interfere and cause damage, comes from the idea of making a 'mess' of it by handling it badly, which explains the sense of causing problems.