to frig up

9.8

To do something badly and make it fail

phrasal verb

Slang

: estropear

I really frigged up the recipe for dinner.

Examples

She accidentally frigged up the computer by pressing the wrong key.
Try not to frig up your chances by arriving late.
If you frig up the timing, the whole plan will fail.
Don't frig up this important presentation!
If you frig up the timing, the whole plan will fail.
She accidentally frigged up the computer by pressing the wrong key.
Try not to frig up your chances by arriving late.

Synonyms

to screw up

vsto frig up

Informal

641 6.3

To make a mistake that ruins what you are doing

is similar but stresses the mistake causes failure or problems

to mess up

vsto frig up

Informal

597 2.8

To make a mistake that causes a problem

is focused on doing something badly leading to failure rather than any damage

to fuck up

vsto frig up

Offensive

203 9.9

To make a serious mistake that ruins something

shares the mistake idea but is described without vulgar emphasis

to fuck it up

vsto frig up

Offensive

37 9.9

To do something badly and ruin how it turns out

is similar but the key can apply to less complete failures

to trip up

vsto frig up

27 4.9

Make a mistake or cause someone else to make one

is about doing something badly oneself rather than causing others to err

to foul up

vsto frig up

Informal

8 6.4

To make a mistake that ruins something because you are careless

is the broader act of doing something badly leading to serious problems

to muck up

vsto frig up

Informal

5 7.6

To ruin something by making mistakes or doing it badly

is broader, meaning to do something badly in any way that causes failure

to louse up

vsto frig up

Informal

4 8.1

To make a mess of a plan or task by doing it badly

is more general about causing failure rather than just making a mess

to botch up

vsto frig up

Informal

2 6.7

Do a job badly and make a mess of it

covers failing by mistake generally rather than specifically clumsy work

to fuck shit up

vsto frig up

Offensive

1 9.9

To cause a lot of damage and chaos to a place or thing

means doing something badly but not necessarily violent or destructive

to ball up

vsto frig up

Informal

1 7.9

To do something badly and ruin how it turns out

is the general idea of doing something badly, not only clumsily

to bollocks up

vsto frig up

Offensive

1 9.9

To do something so badly that it fails

is similar but can include nonblundering mistakes that cause failure

to crap up

vsto frig up

Offensive

1 9.9

To ruin something by making a mistake or being careless

is focused on making mistakes that cause failure rather than general spoilage

to booger up

vsto frig up

Informal

9.9

To ruin something by a careless mistake

is similar but can imply larger failure or more serious consequences

to misfuck

vsto frig up

Offensive

9.9

To ruin something completely by making serious mistakes

is the same undoing effect but expressed without strong vulgarity

Antonyms

to succeed

846 2.0

To reach a goal after trying hard

How Bad

to ruin

∞ 2.0

to frig up

Slang

9.8

to mess up

Informal

597 2.8

to bungle

16 6.8

to fluff

Informal

2 5.4

Surface Forms

frig up infinitive

frigged up past

frigged up past participle

frigging up present participle

frigs up third person singular

Morphology

frig + up

The base verb 'frig' is undocumented/slang here and does not have a clear, literal meaning a B1 learner would reliably know; combining it with the particle 'up' yields an idiomatic slang sense ('to mess up') rather than a directly compositional meaning. Although 'up' can signal a resultative or negative outcome in phrasal verbs, the opaque/slang status of 'frig' makes the overall meaning unpredictable to learners, so it should be treated as opaque.

Etymology

Frig up probably comes from a less rude version of the phrase 'fuck up'. It keeps the same picture of making a big mess or mistake, so it means 'to do something badly'.