messing up

Getting it wrong

Messing up is making mistakes or doing something poorly.

You can mess up a task, a relationship, or your own life: I really messed up by forgetting her birthday.

The phrase also describes causing disorder: Don't mess up your room.

To mess someone up is to injure or psychologically damage them: That accident messed him up pretty bad.

Related

blunder · error · mishandle · botch · foul-up · ruining · gaffe · mistake · falling flat · mismanage · faux pas · miscalculation · muck-up · tangling · confusion · muddle · mishap · oops

Categories
Opposites
success/failure in performance

messing upsucceeding

Attaining aims or following

getting it right · nailing it · acing · doing well · crushing it

harm/benefit to situation

messing upfixing

Restoring proper function

improving · helping · making better · repairing · correcting

Family

mess, message, messy, messenger, messiness, messing, messaging, mess-up, mess up

Familiarity
Top 10,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G