screwed up

IPA/ˌskruːd ˈʌp/
IPA/ˌskruːd ˈʌp/

screwed up — adjective

1. feeling very unhappy, anxious, or emotionally unwell because of painful or diffi

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

feeling very unhappy, anxious, or emotionally unwell because of painful or difficult things that have happened to you.

Example

After losing his job and home in the same month, Theo felt completely screwed up.

feel + screwed up for describing emotional state

Children from troubled homes often feel screwed up about relationships later in life.

feel screwed up + about [topic]

Common collocations
  • feel screwed up
  • be screwed up about
  • be screwed up by
  • get screwed up
  • really screwed up
  • totally screwed up
  • completely screwed up
  • badly screwed up
Synonyms
  • messed up

    same register and meaning, slightly more common in American English

  • traumatized

    more formal and clinical; suggests a specific shocking event rather than general life difficulties

  • disturbed

    more formal; can imply a deeper or longer-lasting psychological condition

  • upset

    less strong; can describe a temporary reaction to a single event

Antonyms
  • well-adjusted

    describes someone who is emotionally healthy and handles life well

  • balanced

    suggests emotional stability and calmness across situations

Grammar Patterns

feel + screwed up

be + screwed up + about/by [something]

Usage Note

This adjective is always used after a linking verb (feel, be, become, end up) — never before a noun. For example, you can say 'He feels screwed up' but NOT 'a screwed-up person'. When written as a compound adjective before a noun, it is hyphenated: 'a screwed-up childhood', though this is still highly informal.

Common Mistakes

I am a screwed up person.
I feel really screwed up about what happened.
This adjective usually follows a linking verb and sounds unnatural before a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five describe negative emotional states, but they differ in register, intensity, and focus. 'Screwed up' and 'messed up' are informal and broadly cover feeling emotionally unwell due to life experiences — they imply long-term difficulty rather than a single reaction. 'Traumatized' is more clinical and specific, pointing to a particular shocking event (e.g. an accident or attack) that causes lasting distress. 'Disturbed' is formal and suggests a serious, often deep-rooted psychological condition. 'Upset' is the mildest and most general — it can describe a short-term reaction to bad news (e.g. 'She was upset about the exam results') without implying lasting damage. Choose 'screwed up' for informal speech about ongoing emotional struggles; use 'traumatized' or 'disturbed' in more formal or clinical contexts.

messed uptraumatized ↗disturbed ↗upset ↗screwed up ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel screwed up
  • end up screwed up
  • get screwed up
  • be screwed up about [something]

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchLatinEnglish

The adjective 'screwed up' comes from the verb phrase 'screw up', which in early 1900s slang meant 'to ruin or make a mistake'. By the 1940s–50s, the expression had broadened from 'ruining a task' to describing a person's emotional state — as if life's difficulties had 'twisted' or 'damaged' them inside. The literal meaning of 'screw' (a metal fastener) comes from Old French 'escroue', referring to a threaded cylinder or nut.