muck about

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To do random unplanned work or spend time idly

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm việc ngẫu nhiên hoặc lãng phí thời gian

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: informal

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Stop mucking about and get on with 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).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To attempt to do something with a piece of equipment without understanding how it works.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

cố gắng sử dụng thiết bị mà không hiểu cách hoạt động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: informal

Sources & notes

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

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To be playful; full of fun and high spirits; to treat a situation unseriously.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

đùa vui; đầy niềm vui và tinh thần cao; đối xử với tình huống một cách không nghiêm túc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: informal

Sources & notes

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

Common questions

What does “muck about” mean?

To do random unplanned work or spend time idly

Is “muck about” formal or informal?

muck about is generally informal.