screwup

See also: screw-up and screw up

English

Alternative forms

• screw-up

Etymology

Deverbal from screw up.

Noun

screwup (plural screwups)

1. (colloquial) A substantial mistake, usually causing problems for more people than just the person or group who made it.

   Synonyms: (obscene) fuckup; see also Thesaurus:error

   • 1977, John Osborne, White House watch: the Ford years, page 147:

     The Ford administration emerged in better shape than it deserved from the fantastic screw-up that preceded the release of the Rockefeller...

2. (colloquial) A person who often makes substantial mistakes; a bungler.

   Synonyms: (obscene) fuckup; see also Thesaurus:unskilled person

3. (colloquial) A person who is mentally or emotionally damaged.

   Synonym: (obscene) fuckup

Translations

substantial mistake

• Afrikaans: knaterflater
• Esperanto: fuŝo (eo)
• Finnish: moka (fi), möhläys (fi), tunarointi (fi)
• Portuguese: vacilo (pt) m

person who often makes substantial mistakes

• Esperanto: fuŝulo (eo), fuŝisto (eo)
• Finnish: tunari (fi), sössijä, möhlijä, ryssijä (fi)
• German: Versager (de) m
• Portuguese: vacilão (pt) m