1 B2 idiomatic informal
To ruin or spoil something, usually through carelessness or incompetence.
"I completely buggered up the presentation by using last year's figures."
separable
bugger up
B2 informal separable transitive
To ruin or spoil something by making a mistake (British vulgar).
In plain English
To make a big mistake and ruin something.
What does "bugger up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To damage or injure something, especially a body part or mechanism.
"He buggered up his knee playing rugby and needed surgery."
separable
Usage tip
British and Australian informal. Equivalent to 'screw up' or 'mess up'. The object can be split (bugger it up) or follow the particle (bugger up the plan). Mildly vulgar.
Words that pair with "bugger up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
plan chances everything job interview completely
How to conjugate "bugger up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bugger up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
buggers up
he/she/it
Past simple
buggered up
yesterday
Past participle
buggered up
have + pp
-ing form
buggering up
continuous
Hear "bugger up" in the wild
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