mess around with somebody/something (also mess about with somebody/something British English) phrasal verb informal (see also mess)

1. to have a sexual relationship with someone that you should not have a sexual relationship with:
She’d been messing around with another man.

2. to spend time playing with something, repairing it etc:
Dave likes messing around with old cars.

3. to use something and make annoying changes to it:
Who’s been messing around with my camera?

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

mess around with
mess around with (someone)
1.
to have sex with someone other than your husband, wife, or usual sexual partner.
She found out that her husband was messing around with her best friend.

2.
to treat someone badly.
He was always messing around with her, and she was right to leave him.

mess around with (something)
to amuse yourself by doing or saying something that is likely to cause trouble.
I don't know if I'm dealing with a 14-year-old messing around with a computer or if I'm dealing with organized crime.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

mess around with something
mess around with (something)
to amuse yourself by doing or saying something that is likely to cause trouble.
I don't know if I'm dealing with a 14-year-old messing around with a computer or if I'm dealing with organized crime.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

mess around with someone
mess around with (someone)
1.
to have sex with someone other than your husband, wife, or usual sexual partner.
She found out that her husband was messing around with her best friend.

2.
to treat someone badly.
He was always messing around with her, and she was right to leave him.

mess around with (something)
to amuse yourself by doing or saying something that is likely to cause trouble.
I don't know if I'm dealing with a 14-year-old messing around with a computer or if I'm dealing with organized crime.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲