mess up

B1 informal separable both

In simple words

To ruin something or make a mistake, or to make a place untidy.

Literal meaning: To make a mess and increase the level of disorder — the idiomatic extension to mistakes and ruin is very natural.

Meanings

1 A2 informal

very common

To make something untidy or dirty.

"The kids messed up the living room within five minutes of coming home."

Grammar: separable

2 B1 idiomatic informal

very common

To make a mistake or do something badly.

"I totally messed up the presentation — I forgot half my notes."

""I messed up.""
— Tiger Woods, public apology statement, February 2010

Grammar: separable

3 B2 idiomatic informal

common

To cause someone psychological or emotional damage.

"Years of bullying really messed him up; he found it hard to trust anyone."

Grammar: separable

4 B1 idiomatic informal

very common

To ruin or spoil a plan, situation, or opportunity.

"The rain messed up our plans for an outdoor wedding."

Grammar: separable

Usage notes

Extremely common in everyday American and British English. Used for both physical disorder ('mess up a room') and mistakes ('mess up an exam'). Also used for psychological harm ('messed up by childhood trauma'). 'Messed up' as an adjective means broken, wrong, or psychologically damaged.

Commonly used with

room hair plan exam everything relationship

Forms

Base

mess up

I/you/we/they

3rd person

messes up

he/she/it

Past simple

messed up

yesterday

Past participle

messed up

have + pp

-ing form

messing up

continuous

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Synonyms

screw up botch bungle ruin spoil foul up

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