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Definition of Mess up
1. Verb. Make a mess of, destroy or ruin. "The pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement"
Generic synonyms: Fail, Go Wrong, Miscarry
Derivative terms: Ballup, Botch, Botcher, Bumbler, Bungle, Bungler, Flub, Fluff, Foul-up, Fuckup, Fumbler, Mess-up, Screwup, Spoil, Spoilage, Spoiling
2. Verb. Disturb the smoothness of. "Ruffle the surface of the water"
3. Verb. Make a mess of or create disorder in. "He messed up his room"
Definition of Mess up
1. Verb. (transitive) To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss. ¹
2. Verb. (transitive) To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin. ¹
3. Verb. (transitive) To botch, bungle; to perform poorly on. ¹
4. Verb. (intransitive) To make a mistake; to do something incorrectly; to perform poorly. ¹
5. Verb. (transitive) To cause (another person) to make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior. ¹
6. Verb. (transitive) To damage; injure. ¹
7. Verb. (transitive slang) To manhandle; beat up; rough up. ¹
8. Verb. (transitive slang) To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Lexicographical Neighbors of Mess Up
Literary usage of Mess up
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learningby Peter H. Johnston by Peter H. Johnston (2004)
"But I mess up a lot because when you mess up, you learn from your mistakes."
Asked whether there are different readers in her class, ..."
2. Hacking College by Dean Kohrs (2006)
"This won't really mess up your college career, so it doesn't get a number, but
it will mess up the dog. And there is a special place in hell for people who ..."
3. Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 by Janet Allen (1999)
"For example, when I look the word mess up in the o dictionary, one definition
is "disorderly mass." Yet when I was con- ^ ducting a workshop in North ..."
4. The Cruise of Her Majesty's Ship "Bacchante", 1879-1882 by Albert Victor, George (1886)
"11.0 ,, mess up spirits ; dismiss drills (that have been going on since 9.30).
11.30 ,, Watch clear up decks. 11.45 „ "Cooks. ..."
5. Sunset by Southern Pacific Company, Southern Pacific Company. Passenger Dept (1910)
"... like some gals mess up their fronts with, nothin' but a stem o' yeller bugle
flowers stuck over one of her little white ears. ..."
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