screw

American  

[skroo] / skru /

noun

• screws
  plural

1. a metal fastener having a tapered shank with a helical thread, and topped with a slotted head, driven into wood or the like by rotating, especially by means of a screwdriver.

2. a threaded cylindrical pin or rod with a head at one end, engaging a threaded hole and used either as a fastener or as a simple machine for applying power, as in a clamp, jack, etc.

3. British. a tapped or threaded hole.

4. something having a spiral form.

5. screw propeller.

6. Usually screws. physical or mental coercion.

   The terrified debtor soon felt the gangster's screws.

7. a single turn of a screw.

8. a twist, turn, or twisting movement.

9. Chiefly British.

   1. a little salt, sugar, tobacco, etc., carried in a twist of paper.

   2. Slang. a mean, old, or worn-out horse; a horse from which one can obtain no further service.

   3. Slang. a friend or employer from whom one can obtain no more money.

   4. Slang. a miser.

10. British Informal. salary; wages.

    It's not my dream job, but the screw's decent enough.

11. Slang. a prison guard.

12. Slang: Vulgar.

    1. an act of sexual intercourse.

    2. a person viewed as a sexual partner.

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verb (used with object)

• screws,
  present (3rd person singular)
• screwed,
  past participle,  past
• screwing
  present participle

1. to fasten, tighten, force, press, stretch tight, etc., by or as if by means of a screw or device operated by a screw or helical threads.

2. to operate or adjust by a screw, as a press.

3. to attach with a screw or screws.

   to screw a bracket to a wall.

4. to insert, fasten, undo, or work (a screw, bolt, nut, bottle top with a helical thread, etc.) by turning.

5. to contort as by twisting; distort (often followed byup ).

   Dad screwed his face into a grimace of disgust.

6. to cause to become sufficiently strong or intense (usually followed byup ).

   I screwed up my courage to ask for a raise.

7. to coerce or threaten.

8. to extract or extort.

   Synonyms:

   squeeze, exact, force, wrest, wring

9. to force (a seller) to lower a price (often followed bydown ).

10. Slang. to cheat or take advantage of (someone).

11. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)

• screws,
  present (3rd person singular)
• screwed,
  past participle,  past
• screwing
  present participle

1. to turn as or like a screw.

2. to be adapted for being connected, taken apart, opened, or closed by means of a screw or screws or parts with helical threads (usually followed by on, together, oroff ).

   This top screws on easily.

3. to turn or move with a twisting or rotating motion.

4. to practice extortion.

5. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.

verb phrase

1. screw off

   1. to do nothing; loaf.

   2. to leave; go away.

2. screw up

   1. to ruin through bungling or stupidity.

      Somehow the engineers screwed up the entire construction project.

   2. to make a botch of something; blunder.

      Sorry, I guess I screwed up.

   3. to make confused, anxious, or neurotic.

      Losing your job can really screw you up.

3. screw around

   1. to waste time in foolish or frivolous activity.

      If you'd stop screwing around we could get this job done.

   2. Vulgar. to engage in promiscuous sex.

idioms

1. have a screw loose, to be eccentric or neurotic; have crazy ideas.

   You must have a screw loose to keep so many cats.

2. put the screws on, to compel by exerting pressure on; use coercion on; force.

   They kept putting the screws on him for more money.

3. have one’s head screwed on right/straight. head.

screw British  

/ skruː /

noun

1. a device used for fastening materials together, consisting of a threaded and usually tapered shank that has a slotted head by which it may be rotated so as to cut its own thread as it bores through the material

2. Also called: screw-bolt.  a threaded cylindrical rod that engages with a similarly threaded cylindrical hole; bolt

3. a thread in a cylindrical hole corresponding with that on the bolt or screw with which it is designed to engage

4. anything resembling a screw in shape or spiral form

5. a twisting movement of or resembling that of a screw

6. Also called: screw-back.  billiards snooker

   1. a stroke in which the cue ball recoils or moves backward after striking the object ball, made by striking the cue ball below its centre

   2. the motion resulting from this stroke

7. another name for propeller

8. slang a prison guard

9. slang salary, wages, or earnings

10. a small amount of salt, tobacco, etc, in a twist of paper

11. slang a person who is mean with money

12. slang an old, unsound, or worthless horse

13. slang (often plural) force or compulsion (esp in the phrase put the screws on )

14. slang sexual intercourse

15. informal to be insane

16. slang to increase the pressure

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verb

1. (tr) to rotate (a screw or bolt) so as to drive it into or draw it out of a material

2. (tr) to cut a screw thread in (a rod or hole) with a tap or die or on a lathe

3. to turn or cause to turn in the manner of a screw

4. (tr) to attach or fasten with a screw or screws

5. informal (tr) to take advantage of; cheat

6. to distort or contort

   he screwed his face into a scowl

7. Also: screw back.  to impart a screw to (a ball)

8. (tr, often foll by from or out of) to coerce or force out of; extort

9. slang to have sexual intercourse (with)

10. slang (tr) to burgle

11. informal to be wise or sensible

screw More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing screw

• have a screw loose
• pluck (screw) up one's courage
• tighten the screws
• turn up the heat (put the screws on)

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Usage

The use of this otherwise utilitarian word in a sexual sense, though recorded in an 18th century slang dictionary, does not appear to have really taken off until well into the 20th. Although a classic example of the anatomical metaphor for the sex act seen from the male point of view, it can be used as a transitive verb by women, which suggests that the metaphor is all but dead

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• screwer
  noun
• screwable
  adjective
• screwless
  adjective
• screwlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• screws
  plural

Participles

• screwing
  present
• screwed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• screw
  simple
• screws
  simple
• have screwed
  perfect
• has screwed
  perfect
• am screwing
  progressive
• are screwing
  progressive
• is screwing
  progressive
• have been screwing
  perfect progressive
• has been screwing
  perfect progressive

Past

• screwed
  simple
• had screwed
  perfect
• was screwing
  progressive
• were screwing
  progressive
• had been screwing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will screw
  simple
• will have screwed
  perfect
• will be screwing
  progressive
• will have been screwing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of screw

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English noun scrwe, screw(e); compare Middle French escro(ue) “nut,” Middle Dutch schrûve, Middle High German schrûbe “screw”

Explanation

A screw is a small metal rod with a notch in the top that's used as a fastener. You can attach one piece of wood to another by rotating a screw through the two surfaces. A screw is similar to a nail, but instead of hammering it in, you turn it repeatedly with a screwdriver. The spiral ridges of a screw attach it securely to whatever you screw it into — metal, wood, or a bolt with similar ridges. Etymologists aren't sure about the origins of screw, although some suspect it comes from the Latin scrobis, "ridge or trench."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

screw screws screwed screwing

It’s similar to how showering children with too much praise can screw them up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Elliot needs to suffer one more turn of the screw before the movie hurries toward a Hollywood ending that it doesn’t believe in at all.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

A right-handed screw fits a right-handed thread, while a left-handed screw does not.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

“It was my own personal triumph over dyslexia. When I was drawing up the plans, I kept worrying that I would transpose numbers and screw it all up, but it came out great,” he explained.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Staring at the berries, I screw up the courage to tell Esme what’s been on my mind.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The US, however, has continued to tighten the screws.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Umm Samir said four of the screws holding Muath's spine in place have come loose and are affecting his breathing.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

We see how AJ wants to impress the boss and takes on more than she can chew and screws up some data before a big presentation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

The monitor had been designed with screws in the back that had 25 concentric circles machined into their flat heads to make them sparkle as light passed over them.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

Then I clamped the plank to the ribs like the old man told me, and drilled holes for the new screws.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

"It was great. They got screwed with that red card," Rubio told reporters during a brief appearance in the White House briefing room when asked how the co-hosts were doing in the tournament.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

If being a living being isn’t enough to garner someone’s kindness, we may be deeply screwed.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Some economists got together in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and agreed that, when it comes to Social Security, we’re screwed.

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

If Miranda Priestly can get thrown in steerage, we’re all screwed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

He screwed them shut, and slid down into evil dreams.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

"Gentlemen, stop screwing around and get over here to help your brothers gear up the parachute. Find yourself a good-looking life companion and get to work," he shouted.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

“The idea was just to say, while doing all this, they’re sort of screwing up stuff for those guys, but ultimately it’s going to become iconic,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

And finally, the courts confirmed what we all knew: Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster are screwing everyone over.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

I worry more about protocols or screwing something up and embarrassing myself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025

She looks at them closely, screwing up her eyes.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Related Words

• crumple
• pucker
• scrunch