messing
Causing playful disorder
Messing is engaging in aimless or disruptive activity.
To mess around is to waste time or behave carelessly: Stop messing around and get to work.
To mess with someone is to bother or provoke them: Don't mess with me.
Messing up means making mistakes or creating disorder: I keep messing up the recipe.
Messing also refers to eating in a military mess hall.
Disorganizing with excess items
- litteringDiscarding waste improperly
- scatteringDistribution in many directions
- dishevelingMaking untidy or disordered
- dirtyingMaking unclean
soiling · smudging · staining · rumpling · crumpling · disarranging · trashing · mucking
Aimless, restless manipulation
- toyingHandling carelessly or idly
- dabblingShallow, casual involvement
- tweakingSlight adjustment process
- adjustingAltering to correct
experimenting · puttering · pottering · fooling around · playing around · noodling · futzing · mucking about
Intrusive interference in others' concerns
- intrudingEntering without welcome
- tamperingImproper interference with something
- pryingIntrusively inquisitive
- butting inInterrupting without permission
nosing · snooping · overstepping · encroaching · obstructing · hindering · impeding · sabotaging
Complete disorder and confusion
- disorderAbsence of organization
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- disarrayLack of order
- mayhemViolent disorder and destruction
turmoil · shambles · muddle · jumble · havoc · upheaval · disorganization · complication
Tricking or joking
- goofingBehaving in silly ways
- horsing aroundEngaging in boisterous play
- clowningPlayful comic behavior
- jokingSaying things in fun
larking · skylarking · monkeying · roughhousing · tomfoolery · pranking · frolicking · romping
cluttering
Disorganizing with excess items
- litteringDiscarding waste improperly
- scatteringDistribution in many directions
- dishevelingMaking untidy or disordered
dirtying · soiling · smudging · staining · rumpling · crumpling · disarranging · trashing · mucking · grubbing
fiddling
Aimless, restless manipulation
- toyingHandling carelessly or idly
- dabblingShallow, casual involvement
- tweakingSlight adjustment process
adjusting · experimenting · puttering · pottering · fooling around · playing around · noodling · futzing · mucking about · dinking
meddling
Intrusive interference in others' concerns
- intrudingEntering without welcome
- tamperingImproper interference with something
- pryingIntrusively inquisitive
butting in · nosing · snooping · overstepping · encroaching · obstructing · hindering · impeding · sabotaging · busybody
chaos
Complete disorder and confusion
mayhem · turmoil · shambles · muddle · jumble · havoc · upheaval · disorganization · complication · tangle
fooling
Tricking or joking
- goofingBehaving in silly ways
- horsing aroundEngaging in boisterous play
- clowningPlayful comic behavior
joking · larking · skylarking · monkeying · roughhousing · tomfoolery · pranking · frolicking · romping · cavorting
messingordering
Placing in sequence
tidying · cleaning · organizing · straightening · arranging
messingworking
In active function
focusing · concentrating · applying oneself · buckling down · getting serious
messingpreserving
Protecting from deterioration
maintaining · protecting · caring for · respecting · tending
- messing upFailing through carelessness
- messing aroundIdle, aimless activity
- messing withPlayfully interfering or teasing
- messing aboutIdle, aimless activity
- Debra Messing