mess around
No objectThis verb takes no object at all.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: mess AROUND. Saying “MESS around” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
Link across the gap. The final /s/ of “mess” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “mess around” is said “me-saround”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.
What it means
To waste time or behave foolishly.
informal- “Stop messing around and finish your homework.”
- “We spent the afternoon messing around with an old guitar.”
Similar: fool around