screw-up
33
6.1
- noun
- /ˈskruːˌʌp/
- Informal
:
metedura de pata
- Yeah, we get a lot of screw-ups here.
- major screw-up
- monumental screw-up
- big screw-up
There were lots of screw ups in this case.
- There were lots of screw ups in this case.
- It was the screw up and we're just, we just live with it forever.
- Now I know that sounds like a major screw up, but they were just following the instructions.
Examples
-
Major screw-up by the vendor.
-
Now I know that sounds like a major screw up, but they were just following the instructions.
-
That was a screw-up on their end.
-
My screw-ups are putting everyone in danger.
-
Whether or not the president was directly involved in the screw-up is immaterial at this point.
Blog text (29) -
I don't have time or energy to sort out this particular screw-up right now.
Blog text (20) -
Life was, after all, a never-ending panorama of surprises and screw-ups.
Fiction book (2000) -
There's been another screw-up.
-
The error in the report was a real screw-up that caused confusion among the team.
-
After realizing my scheduling mistake, I knew it was a huge screw-up on my part.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A wrong action or decision
53
3.3
A mistake that happens when someone confuses one thing with another
51
7.7
A remark or action made by accident that is embarrassing
50
3.5
A small mistake that causes embarrassment
49
3.0
A careless mistake that causes embarrassment or problems
44
5.3
A small wrong action that causes embarrassment or harm to people's trust
20
6.5
A problem that happens because of a big mistake and spoils plans
13
3.7
A small careless mistake you make by accident
9
5.1
A situation that is badly organized and full of mistakes
9
3.4
A small mistake that is often embarrassing
6
7.7
An embarrassing mistake made when someone is careless or nervous
5
9.9
A serious or embarrassing mistake that causes problems
5
7.7
A serious, embarrassing mistake often caused by confusion or poor planning
4
7.7
A small unintentional mistake when speaking, writing, or performing an action
4
2.8
A careless, foolish error that causes problems
3
6.5
A careless mistake that shows a lack of skill
3
7.6
An embarrassing mistake that happens because of bad or careless work
3
9.9
A small problem that causes confusion or delay
1
7.2
An obvious embarrassing mistake that makes people laugh
1
9.6
A serious mistake that happens because of confusion or poor planning
1
9.9
A situation made into a big mess by careless or bad actions
1
8.7
An embarrassing mistake someone makes in public
A short embarrassing mistake you make
A foolish mistake made without thinking that causes trouble
A small mistake that causes embarrassment or trouble
Antonyms
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
screw-up = screw up (opaque) = screw + up
The noun is based on the phrasal verb 'screw up', but the mistake meaning is idiomatic rather than directly predictable from the components.
Etymology
The word screw-up comes from the verb screw 'to twist', like in a screwdriver, plus up meaning 'completely'. So it gives the image of something twisted into a mess, and a screw-up is a careless mistake that causes trouble.