screw up

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screw

left to right: round-head machine screw, flat-head wood screw, and round-head wood screw

screw

(skro͞o)

a. A cylindrical rod incised with one or more helical or advancing spiral threads, as a lead screw or worm screw.

b. The tapped collar or socket that receives this rod.

2. A metal pin with incised threads and a broad slotted head that can be driven as a fastener by turning with a screwdriver, especially:

a. A tapered and pointed wood screw.

b. A cylindrical and flat-tipped machine screw.

3. A device having a helical form, such as a corkscrew.

4. A propeller.

5. A twist or turn, as of a screw.

6. Slang

a. A prison guard.

b. The turnkey of a jail.

7. Vulgar Slang The act or an instance of having sexual intercourse.

8. Chiefly British Slang

a. Salary; wages.

b. A small paper packet, as of tobacco.

c. An old broken-down horse.

d. A stingy or crafty bargainer.

v. screwed, screw·ing, screws

v.tr.

1. To drive or tighten (a screw).

a. To fasten, tighten, or attach by means of a screw or similar fastener.

b. To attach (a tapped or threaded fitting or cap) by twisting into place.

c. To rotate (a part) on a threaded axis.

3. To contort (one's face).

4. Slang

To treat (someone) unfairly; exploit or cheat: screwed me out of the most lucrative sales territory.

5. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.

v.intr.

1. To turn or twist.

a. To become attached by means of the threads of a screw.

b. To be capable of such attachment.

3. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse.

Phrasal Verbs:

screw around

1. Slang To act or fool around aimlessly or in a confused way and accomplish nothing.

2. Vulgar Slang To be sexually promiscuous.

screw over

Slang To treat (someone) unfairly.

screw up

1. To muster or summon up: screwed up my courage.

2. Slang To make a mess of (an undertaking).

3. Slang To injure or damage: Lifting those boxes really screwed up my back. That decision screwed up my career.

4. Slang To cause (someone) to be emotionally or mentally troubled: His father's harshness really screwed him up.

Idiom:

have a screw loose Slang

To behave in an eccentric or mentally deranged manner.

[Middle English skrewe, from Old French escrove, female screw, nut, perhaps from Medieval Latin scrōfa, from Latin, sow; see sker- in Indo-European roots.]

screw′a·ble adj.

screw′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

screw up

vb (tr, adverb)

1. to twist out of shape or distort

2. to summon up or call upon: to screw up one's courage.

3. (also intr) informal to mishandle or make a mess (of)

4. (often passive) informal to cause to become very anxious, confused, or nervous: he is really screwed up about his exams.

slang something mishandled or done badly

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Verb	1.	screw up - make more intense; "Emotions were screwed up" hot up, heat up compound, deepen, intensify, heighten - make more intense, stronger, or more marked; "The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions"
	2.	screw up - make a mess of, destroy or ruin; "I botched the dinner and we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement" bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul up, fuck up, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, ball up, spoil, muff, fumble, blow go wrong, miscarry, fail - be unsuccessful; "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"
	3.	screw up - screw or turn higher screw - turn like a screw
	4.	screw up - twist into a strained configuration; "screw up one's face" grimace, make a face, pull a face - contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state; "He grimaced when he saw the amount of homework he had to do"

screw up

verb

Slang. To harm irreparably through inept handling; make a mess:

ball up, blunder, boggle, botch, bungle, foul up, fumble, gum up, mess up, mishandle, mismanage, muddle, muff, spoil.

Informal: bollix up, muck up.

Slang: blow, goof up, louse up, snafu.

Idiom: make a muck of.

Translations

يُجَعِّد، يَطْعَجيُشيعُ فَوْضىيُقَطِّبُ جبينَه، يَعْبِس

pokazitzkřivitzmačkatzpackat

forkludreforvrængekrølle sammen

durcheinanderbringen verziehen zerknüllen

crisper froisser gâcher

elfintorít

krumpa, vöîla samansetja upp skeifu, gretta/krumpa

krølle sammen

skrčiť

buruşturmakkırıştırmakyüzüne gözüne bulaştırmak

弄皱弄糟搅乱皱着面孔

w>screw up

vt sep

screw, nut → anziehen

(= crush) paper, material → zusammenknüllen, zerknüllen

eyes → zusammenkneifen; face → verziehen; to screw up one’s courage → seinen ganzen Mut zusammennehmen; to screw oneself up to do something → sich aufraffen, etw zu tun

(inf: = spoil) → vermasseln (inf); he’s really screwed things up → er hat da wirklich Scheiße gebaut (inf)

(inf: = make uptight) sb → neurotisch machen; he’s so screwed up → der hat einen Schaden (inf); to be screwed up about something → sich wegen etw ganz verrückt machen; to get screwed up about something → sich in etw (acc) → hineinsteigern

vi (inf: = make a mess) → Scheiße bauen (inf) → (on sth bei etw)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

screw

(skruː) noun

1. a type of nail that is driven into something by a firm twisting action. I need four strong screws for fixing the cupboard to the wall.

2. an action of twisting a screw etc. He tightened it by giving it another screw.

verb

1. to fix, or be fixed, with a screw or screws. He screwed the handle to the door; The handle screws on with these screws.

2. to fix or remove, or be fixed or removed, with a twisting movement. Make sure that the hook is fully screwed in; He screwed off the lid.

3. (slang, vulgar) to fuck; to have sex (with).

4. (slang) to cheat or take advantage of. They screwed you – these are not real diamonds.

ˈscrewdriver noun

a kind of tool for turning screws.

be/get screwed

(slang) be cheated. You've been screwed – it's not worth more than $10.

have a screw loose

(of a person) to be a bit mad.

put the screws on

to use force or pressure in dealing with a person. If he won't give us the money, we'll have to put the screws on (him).

screw up

1. to twist or wrinkle (the face or features). The baby screwed up its face and began to cry.

2. to crumple. She screwed up the letter.

3. (slang) to bungle; to make a mess of. He screwed up again; Plan it carefully – I don't want you to screw things up.

screw up one's courage

to make oneself brave enough to do something. He screwed up his courage to ask her to marry him.

References in periodicals archive ?

As parents, we all screw up. It's sort of our rite of passage as we continue on this journey of parenthood.

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CNN 'scoop' on Trump Jr. collapses over time stamp

Young people shouldn't grow up with the idea that if they screw up they can always go out on the stump and recoup their losses by telling heart-warming stories about their mistakes.