Definition and pronunciation
screw
- Noun — a metal fastener with a helical ridge.
- Verb — to fasten or tighten by turning; to turn something with a twisting motion.
- Verb, slang (vulgar) — to have sex; to cheat or treat someone unfairly.
Pronounced /skruː/ (rhymes with true).
Part of speech and grammar
- Noun: a screw, two screws, a wood screw, a machine screw, a screw cap.
- Verb (regular): screw–screwed–screwed; screwing.
- Adjectives & participles: screwed (“in trouble” or “unfairly treated”); screwy (“odd, crazy,” informal).
- Countability: the hardware sense is countable; the slang verb does not take an object marker for the act (They “screwed”—vulgar).
Register and tone
Neutral in the hardware sense; informal in the “tighten/turn” sense; vulgar in the sexual and “cheat/ mistreat” senses. Avoid the vulgar senses in formal or professional communication.
Connection to sexuality
Yes. As vulgar slang, screw means to have sex. It sounds crude and objectifying. Prefer neutral phrases like have sex, sleep with, or be intimate in respectful contexts.
Common collocations
- Hardware: wood screw, machine screw, Phillips-head screw, screw cap/top, screw thread.
- Literal actions: screw in/out, screw on/off, screw down, screw tight.
- Figurative/idiomatic: screw up, get screwed, screw over, screw with, screw around, have a screw loose, a turn of the screw.
Idioms and set phrases
- screw up — make a mistake. I screwed up the report.
- get screwed — be treated unfairly or end up in a bad situation. Rent went up—we got screwed.
- screw over [someone] — treat someone badly. The vendor screwed us over.
- screw with [someone/something] — mess with; provoke. Don’t screw with the settings.
- screw around — waste time; also, have casual sex (informal).
- have a screw loose — seem a bit crazy.
- a turn of the screw — added pressure or tension (from literature).
Prepositions and nuance
- screw in / screw out — insert/remove by turning. Screw in the lightbulb.
- screw on / off — attach/detach a lid or part. Screw off the cap.
- screw down / tight — make secure. Screw it down tight.
- screw up — error. We screwed up the timing.
- screw over — mistreat. They screwed us over with hidden fees.
- screw with — tamper or tease. Stop screwing with me.
- screw around (with) — waste time or be sexually promiscuous. Context sets the meaning.
Word comparisons
- nail / bolt — other fasteners; a bolt usually needs a nut, a screw threads into material.
- tighten / fasten — neutral verbs for the literal action.
- have sex / sleep with — neutral euphemisms for the sexual sense (preferable).
- cheat / swindle — neutral verbs for the “treat unfairly” sense.
- mess up — neutral for screw up.
- f* (vulgar)** — the closest crude synonym for the sexual verb; stronger profanity.
Real-life examples
- Use a wood screw for soft pine; it grips better.
- Please screw the lid on firmly before shaking.
- I screwed up the budget but fixed it this morning.
- The airline screwed us over with last-minute fees.
- He crudely bragged they “screwed,” which was disrespectful and inappropriate.
- Don’t screw around; we’re on a deadline.
- She isn’t crazy—she just acts like she has a screw loose when she’s joking.
Easy explanation
Screw usually means a metal fastener or to tighten by turning. In informal speech it can also mean to make a mistake (screw up) or to treat someone unfairly (screw over). As vulgar slang, it can mean to have sex—avoid this meaning in polite talk.
Synonyms (comma-separated)
fastener, bolt (related hardware), tighten, twist, fasten, secure, attach, mess up, blunder, botch, cheat, swindle, mistreat, exploit, have sex (neutral alternative), sleep with (neutral alternative)
Antonyms (comma-separated)
loosen, unscrew, detach, unfasten, fix, correct, aid, help, support, respect
Related terms
thread, driver, screwdriver, Phillips, torque, washer, nut and bolt, screw cap, screwy, screwed, screw-top, turn of the screw, screw up, screw over, screw with, screw around
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