pear-shaped
3
7.5
- adjective
- /ˈpeəʃeɪpt/
- UK
:
salir mal
- The project seemed promising, but it quickly turned pear-shaped when we lost our primary funding.
- went pear-shaped
So you know, when your brother down the road had equipment that went pear shaped, you lent him yours.
- So you know, when your brother down the road had equipment that went pear shaped, you lent him yours.
- I feel like if something that you're really looking forward to goes pear shaped, it is for a reason.
Examples
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Like when everything went pear-shaped...
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Anything goes pear-shaped out there, you pop white and radio in.
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We'll move in if it starts getting pear-shaped.
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Look, the whole thing just went pear-shaped.
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Then it all goes pear-shaped.
Blog text (19) -
It's all gone pear-shaped, mate.
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Now go pear-shaped seems to be fully established, especially in financial and, for some reason, sporting circles.
Blog text (33) -
However, if things go pear-shaped, then drones are useless and easily downed.
Blog text (10) -
If we can't enforce contracts, then it all goes pear-shaped.
Blog text (27) -
Things are going pear-shaped.
Blog text (33)
Antonyms
How Bad
144
7.0
126
3.5
- UK
3
7.5
133
5.6
76
2.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The British informal phrase pear-shaped uses the image of a pear to show that something has gone wrong or become misshapen. A helpful picture is a neat plan turning into a strange pear form, so to go pear-shaped means to 'fail' or 'go wrong'.