snafu
[ sna-foo, snaf-oo ]
/ snæˈfu, ˈsnæf u /
Save This Word!
noun
a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation: A ballot snafu in the election led to a recount.
adjective Rare.
in disorder; out of control; chaotic: a snafu scheme that simply won't work.
verb (used with object), sna·fued, sna·fu·ing.Rare.
to throw into disorder; muddle: Losing his passport snafued the whole vacation.
SYNONYMS FOR snafu
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of snafu
First recorded in 1940–45; s(ituation) n(ormal): a(ll) f(ucked) u(p); sometimes euphemistically construed as f(ouled) u(p)
Words nearby snafu
snack, snack bar, snackette, snack table, snaffle, snafu, snag, snaggletooth, snaggy, snail, snail cam
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for snafu
British Dictionary definitions for snafu
snafu
/ (snæˈfuː) slang mainly military /
noun
confusion or chaos regarded as the normal state
adjective
(postpositive) confused or muddled up, as usual
verb -fus, -fuing or -fued
(tr) US and Canadian to throw into chaos
Word Origin for snafu
C20: from s (ituation) n (ormal): a (ll) f (ucked or ouled) u (p)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012