mess around

• Verbe à particule utilisé pour désigner le fait de s'adonner à une activité vague ou sans but, de se comporter de manière espiègle ou peu sérieuse, ou de perdre son temps.

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

indénombrable · intransitif · phrasal, sans objet

1. Behave playfully or waste timeinformal

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

   S'amuser ou perdre son temps

   • 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.

   Synonymesclown arounddallyfool aroundhorse aroundidlelarkloiterplay around

   Antonymesapplylaborperseverestrivework

2. Tinker or experimentinformal

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

   bricoler

   • 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.

   Synonymesdabblefiddlefool aroundmonkey aroundplay aroundpotterputtertinker

   Antonymesabandonignoreneglect

3. Treat someone unfairlyinformal

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

   Traiter quelqu'un injustement

   • 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.

   Synonymesdeceiveexploitmistreatstring alongtoy with

   Antonymeshelphonorrespectsupporttreat

Verbe de basemess