mess-up

[ mes-uhp ]

/ ˈmɛsˌʌp /

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noun

a blunder; state of confusion; mix-up.

Nearby words

mess hall, mess jacket, mess kit, mess up, mess with, mess-up, message, message board, message center, message stick, message switching

Origin of mess-up

First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase mess up

Definition for mess up (2 of 2)

mess

[ mes ]

/ mɛs /

noun

a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition: The room was in a mess.

a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered.

a state of embarrassing confusion: My affairs are in a mess.

an unpleasant or difficult situation: She got into a mess driving without a license.

a dirty or untidy mass, litter, or jumble: a mess of papers.

a group regularly taking their meals together.

the meal so taken.

mess hall.

Naval. messroom.

a quantity of food sufficient for a dish or a single occasion: to pick a mess of sweet corn for dinner.

a sloppy or unappetizing preparation of food.

a dish or quantity of soft or liquid food: to cook up a nice mess of pottage.

a person whose life or affairs are in a state of confusion, especially a person with a confused or disorganized moral or psychological outlook.

verb (used with object)

to make dirty or untidy (often followed by up): Don't mess the room.

to make a mess or muddle of (affairs, responsibilities, etc.) (often followed by up): They messed the deal.

to supply with meals, as military personnel.

to treat roughly; beat up (usually followed by up): The gang messed him up.

verb (used without object)

to eat in company, especially as a member of a mess.

to make a dirty or untidy mess.

Verb Phrases

mess around/about,

Informal. to busy oneself without purpose or plan; work aimlessly or halfheartedly; putter.
Informal. to waste time; loaf.
Informal. to meddle or interfere.
Informal. to involve or associate oneself, especially for immoral or unethical purposes: His wife accused him of messing around with gamblers.
Slang. to trifle sexually; philander.

mess in/with, to intervene officiously; meddle: You'll get no thanks for messing in the affairs of others.

mess up,

to make dirty, untidy, or disordered.
to make muddled, confused, etc.; make a mess of; spoil; botch.
to perform poorly; bungle: She messed up on the final exam.

Origin of mess

1250–1300; Middle English mes < Old French: a course at a meal < Late Latin missus what is sent (i.e., put on the table), noun use of past participle of Latin mittere to send

SYNONYMS FOR mess

3 muddle, farrago, hodgepodge.

4 predicament, plight, muddle, pickle.

15 confuse, mix up.

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ANTONYMS FOR mess

1 tidiness.

3 order.

15 arrange.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for mess up

mess

/ (mɛs) /

noun

a state of confusion or untidiness, esp if dirty or unpleasantthe house was in a mess

a chaotic or troublesome state of affairs; muddlehis life was a mess

informal a dirty or untidy person or thing

archaic a portion of food, esp soft or semiliquid food

a place where service personnel eat or take recreationan officers' mess

a group of people, usually servicemen, who eat together

the meal so taken

mess of pottage a material gain involving the sacrifice of a higher value

verb

(tr often foll by up) to muddle or dirty

(intr) to make a mess

(intr often foll by with) to interfere; meddle

(intr; often foll by with or together) military to group together, esp for eating

Word Origin for mess

C13: from Old French mes dish of food, from Late Latin missus course (at table), from Latin mittere to send forth, set out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with mess up (1 of 2)

mess up

Create disorder in; muddle or ruin. For example, On rainy days the children really mess up the house, or He had a way of messing up his own business. [c. 1900]

Make a mistake, especially from nervousness or confusion, as in He messed up and took the wrong dossier to the meeting, or Jill swore she would never mess up again. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

Beat up, manhandle, as in Joe got messed up in a barroom brawl. [Slang; early 1900s]

Idioms and Phrases with mess up (2 of 2)

mess

In addition to the idioms beginning with mess

mess around
mess up
mess with

also see:

get into trouble (a mess)
make a hash (mess) of