to bollix
1
9.9
- verb
- /ˈbɑlɪks/
- Slang
- - Billy, all you've done is bollix things up.
Examples
-
If we don't plan properly, we might bollix up the entire project.
-
- Did I bollix that?
-
The railroad's got too much at stake to let two farmer boys bollix things up.
-
If we don't act like gents, we'll bollix the whole schmear up tomorrow night.
-
In charting our course toward the new information age, it would not be difficult to make a mistake that would bollix up our journals or even bankrupt the APS.
Academic text (1994) -
I really bollixed my chance to impress the boss by arriving late to the meeting.
-
She tends to bollix things up whenever she tries to cook without a recipe.
Synonyms
975
4.2
To handle something in a way that causes damage or problems
850
6.3
To make a mistake that ruins what you are doing
755
2.8
To make a mistake that causes a problem
690
9.9
To make a serious mistake that ruins something
532
4.0
To break something so it does not work
209
2.8
To make something less good or enjoyable
60
9.9
To do something badly and ruin how it turns out
38
6.0
To do something badly and spoil the result
35
4.9
Deal with something badly so it causes problems or damage
19
6.8
To do something clumsily so it causes mistakes
18
6.4
To make a mistake that ruins something because you are careless
15
3.5
To do something clumsily and make a mistake
14
7.6
To ruin something by making mistakes or doing it badly
6
8.9
To spoil something by doing it badly
6
6.8
To make an embarrassing mistake because you are careless or nervous
6
8.1
To make a mess of a plan or task by doing it badly
4
6.7
Do a job badly and make a mess of it
4
8.2
To fail to catch or handle something because you are clumsy
2
7.9
To do something badly and ruin how it turns out
2
5.4
To make a mistake especially by forgetting words on stage
1
9.9
To ruin something by making a mistake or being careless
1
9.9
To do something so badly that it fails
1
9.9
To spoil or ruin something by making a careless mistake
1
9.9
To ruin something by a careless mistake
1
9.9
Do a job badly so it does not work
To ruin something completely by making serious mistakes
Make something stop working by hitting or dropping it
Antonyms
How Bad
Surface Forms
Etymology
Bollix is a slang verb that probably comes from the stronger British word bollocks, which people used for a bad mess or nonsense, so a helpful way to remember it is to imagine something 'bollocked' up. That's why to bollix something means 'to ruin' or 'to spoil' it by clumsiness.