messed up
Americanadjective
-
beaten up; looking disarrayed.
-
confused and unhappy.
-
intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If they messed up, which many did, they had to raise their arms and say “Ta-da!”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
"But you messed up, and we really need you to get back on top of this for everybody's sake," she said.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Tyson admitted he wasn’t familiar with Von, but thankfully stated he did indeed like him, because that would have really messed up the rest of the episode!
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
But last year during her annual benefits renewal, one of her employers messed up a number on the required paperwork.
From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026
Tyler starts talking about the trial and how messed up it will be if the jury gets it wrong, and even though I agree with him, I don’t tell him that.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
