foul-up

[ foul-uhp ]
/ ˈfaʊlˌʌp /

noun Informal.

a condition of difficulty or disorder brought on by inefficiency, stupidity, etc.
failure of a mechanical part to operate correctly.
a person who habitually makes mistakes; bungler.

Origin of foul-up

1950–55, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase foul up

Definition for foul up (2 of 2)

Origin of foul

before 900; (adj. and noun) Middle English ful, foul, Old English fūl; cognate with Gothic fuls, Old Norse fūll, Old High German fūl; akin to Latin pūs pus, pūtēre to stink, Greek pýon pus; (adv.) Middle English fule, foule, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English fulen, derivative of the adj.

synonym study for foul

3. See dirty.

OTHER WORDS FROM foul

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foul

foul fowl

British Dictionary definitions for foul up (1 of 2)

foul up

verb (adverb)

(tr) to bungle; mismanage
(tr) to make dirty; contaminate
to be or cause to be blocked, choked, or entangled

noun foul-up

a state of confusion or muddle caused by bungling

British Dictionary definitions for foul up (2 of 2)

See also foul up

Derived forms of foul

foully, adverb

Word Origin for foul

Old English fūl; related to Old Norse fūll, Gothic fūls smelling offensively, Latin pūs pus, Greek puol pus

Idioms and Phrases with foul up (1 of 2)

foul up

Blunder or cause to blunder; botch, ruin. For example, He's fouled up this report, but I think we can fix it, or Our plans were fouled up by the bad weather. This expression is widely believed to have originated as a euphemism for fuck up. [Colloquial; c. 1940]

Idioms and Phrases with foul up (2 of 2)

foul