mess
noun
a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition.
was messing
-
past progressiveof mess.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
“These guys were trying to steal money from innocent people, and somebody was messing with them,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
"One of the punishments that I could have in school was having to kneel for half an hour because the guy behind me was messing with my chair," he recalled.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2024
Didn't he know who he was messing with?
From Salon ● May 22, 2024
“Tom tolerated the Bigfoot thing when it was just a boondoggle. But now Squash was messing with his money and humiliating him,” one person close to Bunch says.
From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2023
There were bright lights, which he didn't like, and he was cold, and someone was messing around with his belly button, which hurt.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
