Definition and pronunciation
screwing (present participle/gerund of screw*)*
- Literal: turning a part so its threads bite; fastening or tightening by rotation.
- Figurative (informal): making mistakes (screwing up), mistreating someone (screwing someone over), provoking/tampering (screwing with), wasting time or behaving aimlessly (screwing around).
- Slang (vulgar): having sex.
Pronounced /ˈskruːɪŋ/ (two syllables: skroo-ing).
Easy explanation
Screwing usually means turning something to fasten it. In everyday speech it can also mean making a mistake or treating someone unfairly. As slang, it can mean having sex—this use is rude, so avoid it in polite talk.
Part of speech and grammar
- Verb (progressive): I’m screwing the bracket to the wall.
- Gerund noun: Careful screwing prevents stripped threads.
- Attributive: a screwing motion, screwing force.
- Forms of the base verb: screw – screwed – screwing.
Register and tone
Neutral for hardware; informal for idioms; vulgar for the sexual sense. Avoid the vulgar sense in professional or mixed settings.
Connection to sexuality
Yes. Screwing can mean having sex in crude slang. Prefer neutral phrases like have sex, sleep with, or be intimate when respectful tone matters.
Common collocations
- Literal: screwing in/out a bolt, screwing on/off a lid, screwing down the plate, screwing together the frame.
- Idiomatic: screwing up the report, screwing someone over, screwing with the settings/me, screwing around at work/with people, screwing around with someone (can imply infidelity).
Idioms and expressions
- screwing up — making a mistake.
- screwing someone over — treating someone unfairly.
- screwing with — interfering with or teasing.
- screwing around — wasting time; also casual sexual behavior depending on context.
- Related fixed phrases with other forms: get screwed, a screw-up, have a screw loose.
Prepositions and nuance
- screwing in/out — insert or remove by turning. I’m screwing in the new hinge.
- screwing on/off — attach or detach a cap/part. Screwing off the jar lid.
- screwing down/tight — secure firmly. They’re screwing the panel down tight.
- screwing up [something] — cause an error. We’re screwing up the schedule.
- screwing over [someone] — cheat or mistreat. Hidden fees are screwing customers over.
- screwing with [someone/something] — tamper or provoke. Quit screwing with the thermostat.
- screwing around (with) — idling; or, contextually, casual sex/infidelity. Stop screwing around with deadlines.
Word comparisons
- tightening/fastening — neutral verbs for the literal sense.
- messing up/botching — neutral alternatives to screwing up.
- cheating/swindling/shortchanging — neutral for screwing over.
- have sex/sleep with/be intimate — neutral alternatives to the sexual slang.
- nailing/bolting — different fastening methods; a bolt commonly uses a nut, a screw cuts into material or threads.
Real-life examples
- She’s screwing the camera mount into the ceiling stud.
- We keep screwing up the file names—let’s make a template.
- The contractor screwed us over with extra charges.
- Stop screwing with the network settings.
- They were just screwing around instead of rehearsing.
- He used the vulgar “screwing” for sex; the editor changed it to “slept with.”
Synonyms
tightening, fastening, securing, twisting, attaching, assembling, messing up, botching, bungling, cheating, swindling, shortchanging, mistreating, provoking, tampering, wasting time, having sex, sleeping with, being intimate
Antonyms
loosening, unscrewing, detaching, unfastening, fixing, correcting, helping, supporting, treating fairly, focusing, working diligently, abstaining
Related terms
screw, unscrew, screwed, screwy, screw-up, get screwed, screw over, screw with, screw around, screwdriver, Phillips head, thread, torque, turn of the screw, have a screw loose
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