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What is "to screw up"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
To screw up

Screw \Screw\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Screwed; p. pr. & vb. n. Screwing.]

  1. To turn, as a screw; to apply a screw to; to press, fasten, or make firm, by means of a screw or screws; as, to screw a lock on a door; to screw a press.

  2. To force; to squeeze; to press, as by screws.

    But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we'll not fail.
    --Shak.

  3. Hence: To practice extortion upon; to oppress by unreasonable or extortionate exactions.

    Our country landlords, by unmeasurable screwing and racking their tenants, have already reduced the miserable people to a worse condition than the peasants in France.
    --swift.

  4. To twist; to distort; as, to screw his visage.

    He screwed his face into a hardened smile.
    --Dryden.

  5. To examine rigidly, as a student; to subject to a severe examination. [Cant, American Colleges] To screw out, to press out; to extort. To screw up,

    1. to force; to bring by violent pressure.
      --Howell.

    2. to damage by unskillful effort; to bungle; to botch; to mess up.

    3. [intrans] to fail by unskillful effort, usu. causing unpleasant consequences. To screw in, to force in by turning or twisting. Screw around

      1. to act aimlessly or unproductively.

      2. screw around with, to operate or make changes on (a machine or device) without expert knowledge; to fiddle with.

      3. [Colloq.]commit adultery; to be sexually promiscuous.

Usage examples of "to screw up".

It requires about ten minutes for me to screw up my courage to the sticking point and for Ernest to get his cunt's dress up so that she's showing her bare ass to the world.

From what Earl had heard of Wexlersh and Manuello, it would be like them to screw up, to come charging in here misinformed, confused, operating under the gross misapprehension that they had not merely been sent to protect the McCaffreys but to arrest him as well.

I covered for you then because you were my partner, and I figured everyone has a right to screw up once.

Of course, it's not surprising they think that wayI managed to screw up those obligations, too, after all.

Of course, it's not surprising they think that way-I managed to screw up those obligations, too, after all.

Somehow, Singh managed to screw up the kill and then his cover was blown.

Leia conceded, gazing at the monitor display and trying to screw up her courage.