muck-up

[muhk-uhp]

noun

Informal.

1. a bungled or disordered situation; foul-up.

muck up

verb

1. (tr) to ruin or spoil; make a mess of

2. (intr) to misbehave

Word History and Origins

Origin of muck-up¹

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase muck up

Idioms and Phrases

Bungle, damage, make a mess of, as in Don't let him write the review; he's sure to muck it up. This idiom alludes to the verb muck in the sense of “spread manure on.” [Early 1900s] For a synonym, see foul up.

Related Words

• agitate 
• alarm 
• bewilder 
• bother 
• confound 
• daunt 
• disconcert 
• discourage 
• dishearten 
• disillusion 
• dispirit 
• disquiet 
• disturb 
• dumbfound 
• embarrass 
• faze 
• flummox 
• fluster 
• frighten 
• horrify