Mess up meaning
Mess up means to do something badly or spoil it by making a mistake. It can also mean to make a place or thing untidy or dirty.
mess something up
mess up · messed · messing
I messed up the last question on the test.
Mess up meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Do something badly or spoil it by making a mistake
mess something up
- I messed up the last question on the test.
- Sorry, I messed up your order. I’ll fix it.
- Don’t worry if you mess it up. Just try again.
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2
Make a place or thing untidy or dirty
mess something up
- The wind messed up my hair.
- Please don’t mess up the kitchen. I just cleaned it.
- The kids messed their room up in ten minutes.
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3
Make someone very unhappy or confused for a long time (informal)
mess somebody or something up
- Losing his job really messed him up.
- That film messed me up for days.
- Bad sleep can mess up your mood.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use mess up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is mess up separable?
Mess up is separable: mess up the plan, mess the plan up. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: I messed it up, not I messed up it. It can also stand alone: I messed up.
The adjective messed up means very wrong or confused (informal): That’s so messed up. The noun is a mess-up (UK) or a mess.
Verb tenses for mess up
| Present | I mess up · she messes up |
|---|---|
| Past | messed up |
| Present perfect | have messed up |
| -ing form | messing up |
Common mistakes with mess up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I had one job and I messed up it.
Right: I had one job and I messed it up.
A pronoun goes between mess and up.
Wrong: Sorry, I made a mess up.
Right: Sorry, I messed up.
Use mess up as a verb, or say I made a mess.
Wrong: He messed up with the presentation.
Right: He messed up the presentation.
No with. The thing you spoil comes straight after mess up.
Synonyms and opposites of mess up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- screw upmeans the same but is ruder
- ruinspoil something completely; a single word, a bit stronger
- mix upconfuse two things, not do something badly
Mess up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1I was so nervous that I ___ my speech.
Mess up means do something badly.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes between mess and up.
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3“Don’t mess up the sofa. I just cleaned it.” What is the speaker worried about?
Here mess up means make something untidy or dirty.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get upA1get out of bed after you sleep
- take upB1start a new hobby or activity
- put upB1fix something to a wall, or raise something higher
- look upA2find information in a dictionary, a book or online
- go upB1become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
- come upB2be mentioned or talked about
- give upB1stop doing or having something, often a habit
- break upB1end a romantic relationship
Mess up FAQ
Questions people ask about mess up.
What does I messed up mean?
It means I made a mistake. People say it to admit a mistake honestly: I messed up. I’m sorry.
Is mess up rude?
No. It is informal but polite, fine with friends and at work. Screw up means the same but is ruder.
What does messed up mean?
As an informal adjective, messed up means very wrong, unfair or confused: The way they treated her was messed up.
Use mess up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.