What does screw mean?
A screw is a pointed, usually metal fastener with a spiral thread that joins wood, metal, plastic, or other materials. It is tightened by rotation, normally with a screwdriver, and can also be loosened by turning it in the opposite direction. The related verb means to attach or secure something with a screw, but its everyday informal uses are more colorful: to “screw up” a task is to botch or ruin it, and to tell someone they were “screwed” is to say they were deceived or badly treated. “Turn the screws” can mean to tighten control or pressure on someone, while the interjection “screw it” expresses frustration or resignation. Although screw is often treated as a familiar piece of hardware, its figurative meanings make it unusually versatile, ranging from practical construction to emphatic informal speech.
A pointed metal fastener with a spiral thread, used to secure objects by being turned into or through them.
"The loose shelf needs two more screws."
The count noun usually takes the plural form “screws.” In engineering, “screw” can also refer to the spiral thread itself.
To fasten or secure something by means of a screw; informally, to botch something or deceive someone.
"Screw the lid onto the jar before refrigerating it."
The informal meanings are common in speech but may sound rude or overly casual in professional communication.
An exclamation expressing frustration, annoyance, surprise, or resignation.
"Screw it—we can try again tomorrow."
Use the plural when referring to multiple fasteners or separate threaded fittings.
"Turn all the screws clockwise until they are snug."
The humble screw turns in two directions: it joins things together, or figuratively wrecks them when everything is screwed up.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does screw come from?
The word was borrowed into Middle English from Old French escroue, an older term for a threaded fastener or screw. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, so the word is best understood through its well-established development from a physical fastening device to the modern informal verb meanings associated with botching or deceiving.
Related word forms
How screw is actually used
The verb has strongly informal meanings: “screw up” means to botch or ruin something, while “you screwed me” means you deceived or betrayed me. These expressions can be insulting or coarse in formal settings. The vulgar sexual sense is normally restricted to informal speech.
Easily confused with screw
A screw has a threaded shank and is usually turned with a screwdriver, whereas a bolt generally has a hexagonal head and is secured with a nut.
A drill is a tool or machine that makes holes, while a screw is the threaded fastener placed in a hole.