We all do them, don’t we? We all have seen them done, right? Sometimes they are big ones, and sometimes they are small ones. Sometimes we learn from them and other times we or someone else repeats them over and over again.
We find them in history and many believe that if we study these, we would be much better off. In some cases, like in learning and learning English these things, once pointed out to us, can be invaluable for the learning process.
At times, you are better let people find these on their own rather than point them out, or you could be viewed as criticizing someone. What am I talking about? MISTAKES.
Meaning of “Mess up”:
When someone messes up, they make a mistake causing something to be done or said incorrectly. Mess up can also be used to indicate that a someone or something (animal) made something dirty or disorganized.
Example:
- Oh my, did I ever mess up that report.
- That dog made a mess of my kitchen floor with its dirty paws!
- She is really messed up about the difference between the two issues.
Dialog 1:
Sam: Hey Wayne, what happened in the meeting today?
Wayne: Well, I had to give a presentation on the projected sales for next year and I had the wrong data and presented last year’s numbers.
Sam: Really? Good gosh! That a bungle!
Wayne: Yeah, I really messed up the presentation.
Sam: So now what?
Wayne: I asked Brad, the project team leader, to present again next week. Brad was really cool about it, he said we all mess up from time to time.
Dialog 2:
Sandy: Hi Sandy, gosh you look like crap! What’s wrong?
Alice: Yeah, I had a really rough night. I had a fight with my boyfriend, we broke up and then my boss called me and told me we lost our big contract because of a mistake I made.
Sandy: Oh gosh! When it rains it pours! How are you holding up?
Alice: I am not going to lie, I am really messed up. I can’t sleep, I can’t think and I can’t eat.
Sandy: Yeah you sound really messed up. What can I do to help?
Alice: Just talking helps me, thanks!
Other words you can create: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc. (ex: mug – mugger)
Messing up
Messed up
Mess up
Collocations:
They are really messed up.
They really messed up.
They are always messing up.
Related Phrasal Verbs:
Botch up
We use this phrase to describe when someone made a bad mistake.
- We really botched up this project, Sally really messed up on her numbers and projections.
Stir up
In the context of mess up, we are referring to someone being emotional.
- The movie really stirred up some emotions and brought back a time when she was really messed up.
Foul up
When foul something up we make a mistake or ruin something.
- The chef really fouled up the soup and it messed the whole meal up.
Thrown off
We use this phrase to describe when someone becomes confused and mislead.
- After she messed up part of the presentation, she was thrown off for the rest of the presentation.
Louse up
When we use this phrase we use it to indicate that they have spoiled and cause something to fail.
- Dr. Mugoo really loused up that operation and the patient is really messed up and is not expected to live.
Related idioms:
Screw up
When someone screws up they make a big a mistake.
Drop the ball
When someone drops the ball, they make a serious error and/or forget to do something that cause a problem.
Pull a boner
When someone pulls a boner they do something really stupid.
Muck up
We use this phrase to say that someone has made a mistake that wrecks something.
Goof up
Someone who makes a very stupid mistake that makes themselves or others look dumb.
Throw in to a tizzy
When someone is thrown into a Tizzy someone becomes upset and emotionally uncontrollable.
Synonyms (other ways to say):
Bungle
Screw up
Drop the ball
Botch up
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