mexer com, brincar com, importunar, se meter com
1. To interfere with or tamper with something
Don't mess with my computer settings.
Não mexa nas minhas configurações de computador.
2. To annoy, tease, or provoke someone
Don't mess with him, he's in a bad mood.
Não importunem ele, ele está de mau humor.
3. To engage in casual or careless handling of something
Stop messing with that gadget before you break it.
Pare de brincar com aquele aparelho antes de quebrar.
4. To start trouble or conflict with someone
You don't want to mess with the wrong people.
Você não quer se meter com pessoas perigosas.
This is a very common colloquial phrasal verb in American English, used extensively in both casual conversations and confrontational contexts. In Brazilian Portuguese, 'mexer com' is the most natural equivalent and is similarly informal. The phrase carries different connotations depending on context: it can be playful (teasing friends) or serious (threatening conflict). Americans often use it as a warning or threat, while Brazilians may use it more casually in everyday interactions.
NYC Slang
don't mess with [someone/something], don't play with, don't f*** with
Related Idioms & Phrases
don't mess with success
mess with the bull, you get the horns
mess with fire, get burned
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