mess with
(colloquial) To joke around with or dupe someone, in either a friendly or unfriendly manner.
Seen in the wild
don't mess with asexuals. we're not fucking around
Overstepping is overlaying new tiers over the existing ones. Sometimes it's the obvious option. And sometimes it's just impossible. Either way, it'll mess with your head! #heretosupportyou
They better not mess with my Lexapro or I won't be here anymore
And I just wish they would gather actual coding knowledge and find the fun in technology. Instead they now mess with slippery slop-code that will fall apart in a few days. And that will bring even more frustration :(
Animatronics are already peak cool. Don't mess with perfection.
Definitions
(colloquial) To joke around with or dupe someone, in either a friendly or unfriendly manner.
Don't worry: I'm just messing with you.
“They better not mess with my Lexapro or I won't be here anymore”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Varric or Lucanis. Either one would immediately be making sure you'd be taken care of. One with laughter and a drink, the other quietly taking care of you and making sure nothing else is about to mess with you”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The movers know better than to mess with that hydra. Anger one of the heads and another six dogs will appear in the kitchen. 😉”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Solar storms mess with satellite signals - To know what Webb discovered today, visit https://www.jameswebbdiscovery.com and Explore Universe with this beginners telescope --> https://amzn.to/3JaxN9u #Astronomy #AmazonAffiliate #NASA #Space”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Back and craving to make a mess with your body. #gooner #goonette #gooning #cumshot #domdaddy #serveme #cnc #nsfwsky”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(colloquial) To diss; to put down.
“don't mess with asexuals. we're not fucking around”
Hey! Quit messing with my brother.
“don't mess with asexuals. we're not fucking around”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Overstepping is overlaying new tiers over the existing ones. Sometimes it's the obvious option. And sometimes it's just impossible. Either way, it'll mess with your head! #heretosupportyou”
— Bluesky· May 2026“And I just wish they would gather actual coding knowledge and find the fun in technology. Instead they now mess with slippery slop-code that will fall apart in a few days. And that will bring even more frustration :(”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Animatronics are already peak cool. Don't mess with perfection.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The truck has "Spectrum" on it. I ditched Time-Warner, their predecessor, years ago. Maybe they'll pull the Time-Warner wire, which would not be a bad thing unless they mess with the current Internet wire.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(colloquial) To interfere with.
Don't mess with the controls. I just got everything adjusted correctly.
Mess with means: To interfere with.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
mess with means: To interfere with.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
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