Meaning
例えば、重要なプレゼンテーションで緊張してしまい、うまく話せなかった時に「I really messed up my presentation.」(私は本当にプレゼンを台無しにしてしまった)と言うことができます。
この表現は、何かを間違えたり、期待通りにいかなかったときに使うことができ、親しい友人同士のカジュアルな会話でもよく使われます。また、相手を責めるのではなく、自分のミスを認めるときにも便利です。
「Mess up」は、動詞として「mess(混乱させる)」と副詞「up(上に、完全に)」が組み合わさったフレーズ動詞で、全体として「何かを失敗する」または「何かを混乱させる」というニュアンスになります。
このように、「Mess up」は多様なシーンで使える便利な表現なので、しっかり覚えておくと良いでしょう。
Today's Sentences
01
The wind totally messed up my hair.
Situation
The wind totally messed up my hair.
Don’t worry, it looks stylish.
I feel like I just went through a tornado.
Your hair and outfit look planned.
You look great!
素敵です!
02
The champ totally messed up her opponent.
Situation
Did you see the boxing match last night?
Yeah, the champ totally messed up her opponent.
It was brutal.
She could barely stand.
彼女は立っているのがやっとでした。
One more round and she’d have been completely messed up.
Writer's Note
"Mess up" is an intransitive, transitive, and separable phrasal verb. Let’s dive in!
- Intransitive - Does not require a direct object to complete its meaning.
Structure: "Subject + mess up"
Example 1: I always mess up when I’m nervous.
Example 2: He really messed up during the interview.
Example 3: She messes up whenever she rushes. - Transitive - Requires a direct object (a noun or pronoun) to complete its meaning.
Structure: "Subject + mess + object + up"
Example 1: The horror movie really messed me up.
Example 2: The breakup messed her up for months.
Example 3: His childhood trauma messed him up badly. - Separable - When the particle and verb can be separated.
Structure: "Subject + mess + object + up"
Example 1: He threatened to mess me up if I told anyone.
Example 2: The boxer really messed his opponent up in the ring.
Example 3: Be careful, or they’ll mess you up.
構造: "Subject + mess up"
例1: 私は緊張するといつもmess upします。
例2: 彼は面接中に本当にmessed upしました。
例3: 彼女は急ぐといつもmesses upします。
構造: "Subject + mess + object + up"
例 1: The horror movie really messed me up.
例 2: The breakup messed her up for months.
例 3: His childhood trauma messed him up badly.
構造: "Subject + mess + object + up"
例 1: He threatened to mess me up if I told anyone.
例 2: The boxer really messed his opponent up in the ring.
例 3: Be careful, or they’ll mess you up.
Related Words: Botch, bungle, confuse, damage, disarrange, disorganize, flub, muddle, ruin, spoil, upset