1
monkey with sth
表示暗地里篡改或摆弄，常含贬义。
Someone has been monkeying with the document.
有人一直在胡乱改动这份文件。
乱弄；篡改
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
乱弄；篡改
to play around with or alter or falsify something, usually secretively or dishonestly
Someone has been monkeying with the document.
有人一直在胡乱改动这份文件。
常以 monkey with 的形式出现，表示乱动或篡改。
模仿；学样。
To mimic; to ape.
篡改
play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly
monkey
Base
原形
monkeys
3rd person
第三人称单数
monkeying
-ing
现在分词
monkeyed
Past
过去式
monkeyed
Past participle
过去分词
He monkeys with the data to hide the error.
他篡改数据以掩盖错误。
She monkeyed with the settings last night.
她昨晚乱动了设置。
They are monkeying around with the accounts.
他们正在捣鼓账目。
Someone monkeyed with the computer settings, causing the system to crash.
有人乱动了电脑设置，导致系统崩溃。
He was caught monkeying around with the evidence.
他被抓到在篡改证据。
Don't monkey with the thermostat; it's set correctly.
别乱动恒温器，它已经设定好了。
表示暗地里篡改或摆弄，常含贬义。
Someone has been monkeying with the document.
有人一直在胡乱改动这份文件。
指行为不认真，捣乱。
Stop monkeying around and get to work.
别再胡闹了，开始工作吧。
Not this
He monkeyed around the documents.
Use this
He monkeyed with the documents.
动词monkey表示“篡改”时，必须搭配介词with，表示“胡乱摆弄某物”；而monkey around意为“胡闹”，后面不接宾语，因此此处需要用with。
Not this
He monkeyed the machine.
Use this
He monkeyed with the machine.
monkey作为及物动词时通常需要介词with才能接宾语，表示“摆弄、篡改”，不能直接跟名词作宾语，这是中国学习者常犯的及物性错误。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
胡闹；闲荡
Stop monkeying around and help me clean the room.
别再胡闹了，帮我打扫房间。
乱动；摆弄
Don't monkey with the settings unless you know what you're doing.
除非你知道自己在做什么，否则别乱动设置。
捣鬼；不老实的行为
There's been some monkey business in the accounts department.
会计部门一直有些捣鬼的行为。
胡闹；闲混
Stop monkeying around and finish your homework!
别胡闹了，快把作业写完！
让某人出洋相
He made a monkey out of me in front of the whole team.
他在全队面前让我出了洋相。
Use monkey naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
猴子善模仿——monkey 作动词指‘模仿’，也指暗中‘乱弄、篡改’。
语域：informal 常见场景：informal speech、casual writing、warnings about tampering monkey 表示“乱弄、篡改”时，通常用于非正式口语，常与 with 搭配；多用于日常对话、警告或说明性文字。
常见搭配介词 with，表示‘胡乱摆弄’
Dictionary facts from DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.