mess around

• Фразовый глагол, используемый для обозначения занятия случайной или бесцельной деятельностью, игривого или несерьёзного поведения, или траты времени впустую.

A phrasal verb used to indicate engaging in casual or aimless activity, behaving in a playful or unserious manner, or wasting time.

uncountable · intransitive · phrasal, no object

1. Behave playfully or waste timeinformal

   To engage in playful or silly behavior, often wasting time instead of doing something productive.

   Бездельничать или дурачиться

   • Stop messing around and finish your homework.
   • The kids were messing around in the backyard.
   • We spent the afternoon just messing around at the park.

   Synonymsclown arounddallyfool aroundhorse aroundidlelarkloiterplay around

   Antonymsapplylaborperseverestrivework

2. Tinker or experimentinformal

   To handle or work with something in an unskilled or casual way, often to understand or fix it.

   Возиться или экспериментировать

   • He likes to mess around with old radios.
   • She was messing around with the settings on her phone.
   • They messed around with the recipe until it tasted right.

   Synonymsdabblefiddlefool aroundmonkey aroundplay aroundpotterputtertinker

   Antonymsabandonignoreneglect

3. Treat someone unfairlyinformal

   To cause trouble or confusion for someone, often by being dishonest or inconsiderate.

   Обманывать

   • Don't mess around with her feelings.
   • He felt his boss was messing him around with the schedule.
   • They messed around with the contract terms at the last minute.

   Synonymsdeceiveexploitmistreatstring alongtoy with

   Antonymshelphonorrespectsupporttreat

Base verbmess