SCREW UP
Dictionary entry overview: What does screw up mean?
• SCREW UP (verb)
The verb SCREW UP has 4 senses:
1. make more intense
2. make a mess of, destroy or ruin
3. screw or turn higher
4. twist into a strained configuration
Familiarity information: SCREW UP used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• SCREW UP (verb)
Meaning:
Make more intense
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
screw up; hot up; heat up
Context example:
Emotions were screwed up
Hypernyms (to "screw up" is one way to...):
compound; deepen; heighten; intensify (make more intense, stronger, or more marked)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Make a mess of, destroy or ruin
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
bungle; flub; fluff; foul up; fuck up; louse up; mess up; mishandle; muck up; bumble; botch up; ball up; bobble; bodge; bollix; bollix up; bollocks; bollocks up; botch; spoil; muff; screw up; fumble; blow
Context examples:
I botched the dinner and we had to eat out / the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement
Hypernyms (to "screw up" is one way to...):
fail; go wrong; miscarry (be unsuccessful)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Screw or turn higher
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "screw up" is one way to...):
screw (turn like a screw)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Twist into a strained configuration
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Context example:
screw up one's face
Hypernyms (to "screw up" is one way to...):
grimace; make a face; pull a face (contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
