mess around
verb
messed around; messing around; messes around
intransitive verb
1
: to waste time : dawdle, idle
2
a
: associate
didn't mess around with gangs
b
: flirt, philander
Synonyms
- doodle
- fiddle (around)
- fool around
- fribble
- goof (around)
- hang about [British]
- kick around
- monkey (around)
- play
- potter (around)
- putter (around)
- trifle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
spent the vacation day just messing around a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women
Word History
First Known Use
1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1
mess around
verb
1
as in to fool around
to spend time in aimless activity spent the vacation day just messing around Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fool around
- play
- fribble
- hang about
- goof (around)
- kick around
- doodle
- fiddle (around)
- putter (around)
- potter (around)
- trifle
- horse around
- monkey (around)
- lounge
- idle
- loaf
- hang (around or out)
- dawdle
- dillydally
- clown (around)
- tinker
- loll
- dally
- diddle (with)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- settle (down)
- buckle (down)
- set (to)
- knuckle down
2
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun a guy who goes to the health club mainly to mess around with the women Synonyms & Similar Words
- flirt
- coquette
- toy
- coquet
- trifle
- string along
- lead on
- dally
- put on
- woo
- frivol
- vamp
- court
- fool
- tease
- mash
- rib
- kid
- razz
- josh
- play (with)
- manipulate
3
as in to travel
to come or be together as friends if you continue to mess around with such narrow-minded boobs, you'll begin to think and act like them Synonyms & Similar Words
- travel
- associate
- hook up
- run
- bond
- connect
- mix
- collaborate
- join
- hang (around or out)
- company
- sort
- relate
- mingle
- pal (around)
- take up with
- rub shoulders (with)
- consociate
- rub elbows (with)
- consort
- chum
- fall in with
- fraternize
- befriend
- get along
- cooperate
- get on
- friend
- group
- keep company (with)
- be friends with
- side
- rally
- tie
- team
- club
- hobnob
- link
- ally
- attach
- gang
- band
- couple
- affiliate
- knot
- confederate
- league
- socialize
- interrelate
- conjoin
- collude
- wed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- avoid
- shun
- split (up)
- snub
- break up
- alienate
- split
- estrange
- disperse
- cold-shoulder
- disband
- divorce
- sever
- dissociate
- disjoin
- disunite
- sunder
- microcopies
- microcopy
- microcopying
- microcosm
- microcosmic
- microcosmic salt
- microcosmically
- microcosmos
- microcosmoses
- microcosms
- Microcosmus
- microcranous
- microcredit
- microcrustacean
- microcrystal
- microcrystalline
- microcrystalline wax
- microcrystallinities
- microcrystallinity
- microcrystals
- microcultural
- microculture
- microcultures
- microcurie
- microcuries