eff up
B1 informal separable both
In simple words
A way to say (without using the full swear word) that someone made a big mistake or badly messed something up.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
informal
To make a serious error or ruin something through incompetence or carelessness.
"I completely effed up the job interview by arriving late and forgetting my CV."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Used in print, broadcast media, and polite conversation as a substitute for the more explicit profanity. Slightly softer than the full form but still considered rude in many contexts. Common in British English. Can be used transitively ('She effed up the presentation') or intransitively ('He really effed up').
Commonly used with
really completely totally badly everything it
Forms
Base
eff up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
effs up
he/she/it
Past simple
effed up
yesterday
Past participle
effed up
have + pp
-ing form
effing up
continuous
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