screwup
Definition
Noun: 1. A serious mistake or blunder; an instance of complete mismanagement or mishandling of a situation. It refers to a situation that has gone wrong, often due to incompetence, carelessness, or poor judgment.
Usage
The word "screwup" is an informal, often critical term used to describe a significant error or a botched situation. It emphasizes the failure and its negative consequences. * It is commonly used to describe administrative, logistical, or procedural failures. * It can also refer to a person who habitually makes mistakes (see "Advanced Usage").
Examples
- The lost shipment was a major screwup by the new logistics team.
- We missed the deadline because of a screwup in the communications department.
- The event's failure was a complete screwup from start to finish.
Advanced Usage
- Referring to a person: Informally, "screwup" can be used as a noun to label a person who consistently makes mistakes or fails to perform adequately.
- He's a total screwup; he can't get anything right.
- As a compound: It is often written as the closed compound "screwup," though the hyphenated form "screw-up" is also seen. The phrasal verb from which it derives is "to screw up."
Variants and Related Words
- Screw up (phrasal verb): To make a mistake or to ruin something.
- I really screwed up the presentation.
- Screwed up (adjective): Describing a situation that is ruined or a person who is emotionally troubled.
- This is a screwed up situation.
- He's pretty screwed up after the accident.
Synonyms
- Blunder
- Fiasco
- Botch
- Debacle
- Mess-up (informal)
Antonyms
- Success
- Triumph
- Achievement
Related Idioms/Phrases
- To make a mess of (something): A less informal way to describe causing a failure.
- He made a complete mess of the negotiations.
Noun
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the complete mismanagement or mishandling of a situation
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a typical bureaucratic screwup
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