fuck up

fuck up idiom
  1. Ruin, botch, spoil. For example, Don't tell me you're going to fuck up again. It is also put as be fucked up, meaning “be ruined or spoiled,” as in This entire project is fucked up. This vulgar usage dates from the early 1900s but did not become widespread until about 1940.
  2. Act carelessly or foolishly, mess up, as in I'm sorry, I really fucked up when I invited them. [Vulgar slang; c. 1940]
  3. Break down, fail, as in If the flash mechanism fucks up again, I won't get a picture. [Vulgar slang; c. 1980]
  4. be fucked up. Be very confused or mentally ill; also, intoxicated. For example, He was so fucked up they had to hospitalize him, or What a party—I sure got fucked up. [Vulgar slang; 1940s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.