English · Phrasal verb Attested

mess about

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To misbehave

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hành động không đúng mực

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Kids! Stop messing about and do your work!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To be in a casual non-committal relationship

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Có mối quan hệ không nghiêm túc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To play with; to toy with; to waste the time of (a person).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Chơi đùa với; lãng phí thời gian của ai đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

What does “mess about” mean?

To misbehave

Is “mess about” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.