mess up

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌmes ˈʌp/
US: /ˌmes ˈʌp/

  1. To make a mistake or do something wrong.

    1. I always mess up when I'm nervous.
    2. He didn't want to mess up the plan, so he followed the instructions carefully.

  2. To spoil or ruin something.

    1. Don't mess up my hair!
    2. The rain could mess up our picnic, so let's have a backup plan.

  3. To make something dirty or untidy.

    1. The kids mess up the house quickly.
    2. Please don't mess up the living room it's newly cleaned.

Synonyms

botch mishandle spoil ruin disorder jumble
mess up noun

  1. A situation that is confused or full of problems.

    1. The project was a mess up.
    2. The whole trip was a mess up from start to finish, with delays and lost luggage.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "mess up" in English means: To make a mistake or do something wrong., To spoil or ruin something., To make something dirty or untidy..

The phonetic transcription of "mess up" is /ˌmes ˈʌp/ in British English and /ˌmes ˈʌp/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "mess up": botch, mishandle, spoil, ruin, disorder, jumble.

Example usage of "mess up": "I always mess up when I'm nervous.". More examples on the page.