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Definition of screwup

screwup

/ˈskruː.ʌp/
screw · up
Plural:screwups
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screwup Lexical Profile

screwup Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A foolish, careless, or embarrassing mistake, blunder, or mishap (informal).

Example

"A major scheduling screwup left two different teams booked on the same practice field."

2

An inept, unreliable, or habitually unsuccessful person who frequently makes mistakes or causes trouble (informal).

Example

"After failing out of college twice, he feared his family viewed him as a hopeless screwup."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for screwup
Antonyms
View all antonyms for screwup

Word Nuance & Usage

As a noun, 'screwup' (or 'screw-up') is written as a single or hyphenated word, whereas the phrasal verb 'screw up' is always written as two separate words.

• Nearby Words

screwhead
screwlike
screwtop
screwup
screwy
scribble
scribbler

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Screwup. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/screwup
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