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mess up

desordenar

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Examples

mess up(

)

A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g. Take out the trash.).

transitive verb phrase

1. (to make untidy)

a. desordenar

The puppies messed up the garden.Los cachorros desordenaron el jardín.

b. desarreglar

Cindy's brother messed up her hair when he opened the car windows.El hermano de Cindy le desarregló el cabello cuando abrió los cristales del coche.

c. revolver

Dawn's assistant messed up her desk when she was searching for the document.La asistente de Dawn le revolvió el escritorio cuando estaba buscando el documento.

2. (to make dirty)

a. ensuciar

The spaghetti fell off the table and messed up the floor.El espagueti se cayó de la mesa y ensució el piso.

3. (to ruin)

a. estropear

The hurricane messed up my plans to go to the beach.El huracán estropeo mis planes de ir a la playa.

b. arruinar

Alcohol abuse messed him up so much, his parents thought he'd never recover.El abuso del alcohol lo arruinó de tal manera que sus padres se temían que nunca mejoraría.

c. echar a perder

The new skyscraper across the street has messed up my cell phone reception.El nuevo rascacielos al otro lado de la calle ha echado a perder la recepción de mi celular.

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(to beat up)

Regionalism used in the United States

(United States)

a. dar una paliza

You hit my car! I'm going to mess you up, man.¡Le pegaste a mi carro! Te voy una una paliza, güey.

An intransitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and does not require a direct object (e.g. Everybody please stand up.).

intransitive verb phrase

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(to do something wrong)

a. equivocarse

Look, you messed up. The letter is for Mrs. Hernandez, not Mrs. Fernandez.Mira, te equivocaste. La carta es para la señora Hernández, no la señora Fernández.

b. meter la pata

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

We've really messed up this time! We'll be lucky to get another commission after this disaster.¡Esta vez sí que hemos metido la pata! Sería increíble que nos encargaran otro trabajo después de este desastre.

mess up

A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g. Take out the trash.).

transitive verb phrase

1. (colloquial)

a. desordenar (room)

2. (hair)

a. revolver

3. (plan)

a. estropear

mess up

transitive verb

1 (disarrange) [+books, papers] descolocar; [+hair] desarreglar; [+room, house] desordenar; desarreglar

I hope they haven't messed up your video tapes you're messing my hair up don't mess the bed up - I've just made it

2 (dirty) ensuciar

when I let him loose in the kitchen he always messes up his clothes

3 (ruin) [+plans, arrangements] estropear; echar por tierra; [+piece of work] estropear

I don't want to mess up your weekend I was painting this design on the ceiling but I messed it up when politicians mess things up it is the people who pay the price the party was meant to be a surprise and you messed it up it really messed the boys up when we decided to split

4 (US) (beat up) zurrar (informal); dar una paliza a (informal)

verb:intransitive:plus_adverb

meter la pata (informal)

if I messed up this time I'd lose my job he kept messing up, missing cues, disrupting things

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Examples