- To make a mistake, especially a careless or significant one; to mishandle or ruin something.
- Can also be used as a noun (a screw-up) to refer to the mistake itself or the person who made it.
Explanation
Origin
- Emerged in American English around the mid-20th century.
- The verb screw has various mechanical meanings, but its use in slang often carries negative connotations (e.g., screwy meaning odd, getting screwed meaning being cheated).
- Screw up likely evolved from this general negative sense to mean mishandle, tangle, or mess up badly.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Fuck up. (Vulgar, much stronger emphasis on the severity or carelessness of the mistake)
- Cock up. (UK/Aus informal, mildly vulgar)
- Bollocks up. (UK vulgar)
- Flub. (Make a minor error, often in speaking or performing)
Vulgar/Emphatic:
- Fuck up. / Fuckup (noun)
- Shit the bed. (Very vulgar, implies a complete and embarrassing failure)
Milder/Standard:
- Make an error.
- Get it wrong.
- Miscalculate. / Misjudge.
- Err. (Formal)
Situational Appropriateness
- Informal.
- Generally too informal for formal business reports, communication with clients, or addressing high-level superiors unless the relationship is unusually casual.
- Mess up is a slightly safer informal alternative. Fuck up is vulgar and inappropriate for most professional contexts.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- The literal meaning involves turning a screw. While context usually makes the mistake meaning clear, ensure learners understand it's figurative and informal/negative.
Examples
- I completely screwed up the recipe, and the cake turned out terrible.
- He screwed up his interview by arriving late.
- Don't screw this up; it's our last chance.
- The scheduling conflict was a major screw-up. (Noun)
Dialogue
Team Lead: Where are the presentation slides? The meeting starts in 5 minutes!
Team Member: Oh man... I think I screwed up. I saved them on my home computer, not the shared drive.
Team Lead: You screwed up?! Seriously? Okay, email them NOW. Let's hope they arrive in time.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Screwed up dinner tonight. Tried a new recipe and it was a disaster 😩 Ordering pizza instead. #cookingfail #pizza
- Forum Post: Help! I screwed up my phone settings and now I can't connect to Wi-Fi. Any ideas?
- Comment: User A: The company really screwed up with that last update. User B: Totally agree, it's full of bugs.
Response Patterns
- Sympathy: Oh no, that's tough. / Don't be too hard on yourself.
- Annoyance/Criticism: You really screwed up this time! / How could you screw that up?
- Problem-solving: Okay, how can we fix this screw-up?
- Shared frustration: Yeah, the whole project was a screw-up.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After someone admits they screwed up:
- People often ask What happened? or How did you screw up?
- They might offer help: Is there anything I can do to fix it?
- Discuss consequences: What are the implications of this screw-up?
The person who screwed up might:
- Explain the mistake in detail.
- Apologize profusely.
- Suggest ways to rectify the situation.
Conversation Starter
- No. Used to describe a negative event or mistake.
Intonation
- Often said with frustration, regret, annoyance, or emphasis.
- Stress usually falls hard on screwed.
- I really SCREWED up. / Don't SCREW this up!
Generation Differences
- Very common and understood across most generations, particularly Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
Regional Variations
- Very common in American English.
- Mess up is equally common and perhaps more widespread globally.
- UK and Australian English speakers also use screw up but might favor alternatives like cock up, muck up, or make a hash of it.