screw up meaning and definition

SCREW UP verb

Definition of screw up (verb)

1. make more intense
   • "Emotions were screwed up"
   • synonyms: heat up, hot up
2. make a mess of, destroy or ruin
   • "I botched the dinner and we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement"
   • synonyms: ball up, blow, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul up, fuck up, fumble, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, muff, spoil
3. screw or turn higher
4. twist into a strained configuration
   • "screw up one's face"