Definition and pronunciation
shtup (also spelled schtup, shtupp) — verb, vulgar slang: to have sex (usually transitive: to shtup someone; sometimes intransitive: they shtupped). Also a noun in informal use: a quick shtup (a brief sexual encounter).
Pronounced /ʃtʊp/ (“shtoop,” short u as in book) or /ʃtuːp/.
Easy explanation
Shtup is a rude, comic-sounding word that means to have sex. It’s often used in American English with Yiddish flavor, especially in jokes or scripts. Because it’s crude and can objectify people, use it carefully and only for consenting adults.
Part of speech and grammar
- Verb (regular): shtup – shtupped – shtupped – shtupping.
- Transitivity: most often transitive (shtup someone); can be intransitive (they shtupped).
- Noun (informal): a shtup = a sexual encounter; shtupper (person who “shtups,” jocular).
- Determinants: a quick shtup, no shtupping, some shtupping (informal).
- Variant spellings: schtup, shtupp are common in print.
Register and tone
Vulgar, comic, and culturally marked (Yiddish-influenced American slang). It can sound dismissive or sexist when used about a person.
Connection to sexuality
Yes. In modern English shtup almost always refers to sex. A historical meaning “to stuff/push” from Yiddish survives rarely in English and may appear in wordplay.
Common collocations
- shtup someone
- have a shtup (as a noun; informal)
- shtupping around (promiscuity; derogatory)
- a quick shtup, secret shtup, shtup on the side (affair; disapproving)
Idioms and set phrases
- get shtupped (coarse passive; best avoided)
- shtup on the side (extramarital/hidden sex; disparaging)
- shtupping around (sleeping around; judgmental tone)
Prepositions and nuance
- shtup [someone] — direct object is standard: He boasted he shtupped a movie extra (crude).
- shtup with [someone] — less common; names a partner: They were shtupping with each other (still crude).
- shtup on the side — implies secrecy or infidelity.
- shtup around — suggests multiple partners, with a critical tone.
- for a shtup — signals motive: He only texted for a shtup (derogatory).
Word comparisons
- have sex / sleep with / be intimate — neutral or polite alternatives; preferred in respectful writing.
- bang / boink — similar crude slang; bang is harsher, boink is cartoonish.
- hook up — casual encounter; less crude, broader social nuance.
- make love — romantic, affectionate; opposite tone of shtup.
- nookie / roll in the hay — playful euphemisms with softer edges.
Real-life examples
- The script used “shtup” for comic effect, but the editor toned it down to “sleep with.”
- Tabloids gossiped that the actor was shtupping a co-star—sensational and disrespectful.
- She pushed back: “Don’t talk about me like someone to shtup.”
- Writers should avoid “shtup” in straight news; it’s slangy and objectifying.
- In conversation, he said they were “shtupping around,” which sounded nasty and judgmental.
Synonyms
have sex, sleep with, hook up, make love, copulate, bed, bang, boink, get intimate
Antonyms
abstinence, celibacy, chastity, platonic relationship, restraint
Related terms
Yiddish slang, vulgar slang, objectification, hookup, nookie, roll in the hay, piece of tail, piece of ass, affair, infidelity, consent, respectful language
Notes and etiquette
Use only for consenting adults and only when a crude or comedic tone is explicitly desired (e.g., quoting dialogue). In journalism, academia, and the workplace, choose neutral language such as have sex or sleep with and avoid objectifying phrasing.
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