mess-up
[ mes-uhp ]
/ ˈmɛsˌʌp /
noun
a blunder; state of confusion; mix-up.
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schlep
Origin of mess-up
First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase mess up
Words nearby mess-up
mess hall, mess jacket, mess kit, mess up, mess with, mess-up, message, message board, message center, message stick, message switching
Definition for mess up (2 of 2)
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for mess up
mess
/ (mɛs) /
noun
verb
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
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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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.