To make a serious mistake or ruin something; also to crumple paper or contort a face; informally, to cause someone psychological damage.
To make a big mistake and ruin something, or to crumple something into a ball.
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To make a serious mistake that ruins a plan, situation, or task.
"I totally screwed up the presentation by forgetting to save the updated slides."
"How could I have screwed that up so badly?"
— Breaking Bad, Season 3 (AMC, 2010)
To crumple paper or a similar material into a tight ball.
"He screwed up the rejection letter and threw it in the bin."
To distort or contort the face, especially due to pain, disgust, or intense concentration.
"She screwed up her face at the taste of the bitter medicine."
To cause lasting psychological or emotional damage to someone.
"Years of bullying had really screwed him up and he struggled with confidence as an adult."
To screw (tighten by turning) something up — extended to mean twisting or distorting something beyond use.
To make a big mistake and ruin something, or to crumple something into a ball.
One of the most commonly used informal phrasal verbs in English. The mistake sense is widely understood internationally. Also used as a noun: 'a screw-up'. Can be used to describe ruining a situation, making an error, or causing emotional damage to someone ('his childhood really screwed him up').
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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