fuck up

English

Alternative forms

• fuck-up
• (noun) fuckup

Pronunciation

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈfʌkˌʌp/
• (verb) IPA^(key): /ˌfʌkˈʌp/

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: (verb) -ʌp

Verb

fuck up (third-person singular simple present fucks up, present participle fucking up, simple past and past participle fucked up)

1. (intransitive, slang, vulgar) To make a mistake, to go wrong.

   Synonyms: screw up, mess up; see also Thesaurus:make a mistake

   You really fucked up this time.

   • 2023, Thomas Chatterton Williams, “The People Who Don’t Read Books”, in The Atlantic‎:

     When I was in my 20s and writing my first book—I know, I really fucked up there[.]

2. (transitive, vulgar) To botch or make a mess of.

   I fucked up question 3 of the exam.

   • 2017 August 27, Brandon Nowalk, “Game Of Thrones slows down for the longest, and best, episode of the season (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     Tyrion is made to be a strategic fool. I haven’t been as hard on this aspect of the season as others, because I buy that Tyrion might overestimate himself in military matters. But face-to-face negotiation with power players in the capital? Now that really is his bread and butter, and after a season of fucking things up in Dragonstone, he once again completely misreads the situation in King’s Landing.

3. (transitive, vulgar) To injure or damage badly.

   Synonym: mar

   I fucked up my knee while running the marathon.

   • 1971, Philip Larkin, This Be The Verse:

     They fuck you up, your mum and dad. / They may not mean to, but they do. / They fill you with the faults they had / And add some extra, just for you.

   • 1991, “Sax and Violins”, in Once in a Lifetime – The Best of Talking Heads, performed by Talking Heads:

     Mom and Pop, they will fuck you up / For sure / Love so deep, kills you in your sleep / It's true

   • 1993, “Shame on a Nigga”, in Wu-Tang Clan (music), Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers):

     Shame on a nigga who try to run game on a nigga / Wu buck wild with the trigger! / Shame on a nigga who try to run game on a nigga / I'll fuck your ass up!

   • 2006, “The Hand of the Almighty”, in John R. Butler (music), Surprise!:

     He'll fuck you up, yes, God will fuck you up / If you dare to disobey His stern command. / He'll fuck you up, don't you know He'll fuck you up? / So you better do some prayin' while you can.

   • 2010, 16:51 from the start, in Action 52 (NES) - Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN)‎, James Rolfe (actor):

     What are these, hookers? I guess this guy doesn't understand the concept of a hooker. You're supposed to fuck her, not fuck her up.

4. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (vulgar) To cause someone to make a big mistake.
5. (vulgar) To cause someone to become intoxicated or otherwise alter someone's mental state.
   • 2001 January 16, Joe Eszterhas, American Rhapsody, Vintage, →ISBN, page 5:

     I really got fucked up on cocaine last night.

   • 2014 July 3, Jess Walter, We Live in Water, Penguin UK, →ISBN:

     Vodka, Bit says, because it fucks you up fastest.

   • 2015 April 13, Graeme Innes, Platypus Dreaming: ... a prophecy, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN:

     Yeah, well the use of smack, cocaine, and other nasties continues, along with a wide range of designer drugs. [...] There's still plenty of shit quality material available to fuck up the youth.

6. (vulgar) To traumatise; to negatively affect the wellbeing of someone.
   • 1971, Philip Larkin, This Be the Verse‎:

     They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
     They may not mean to, but they do.
     They fill you with their faults they had
     And add some extra, just for you.

   • 2018 November 27, Diamond Johnson, Love Me 2, Sullivan Group Publishing, →ISBN:

     She'd never get the chance to have the proper goodbye to her own husband, and that fucked me up for some reason.

7. (used only in imperative, vulgar) Ellipsis of shut the fuck up.

   Fuck up, mate! I don't want to listen to you!

Translations

See also

• FUBAR

Noun

fuck up (plural fuck ups)

1. Alternative spelling of fuckup