cocked up

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparableBritishinformal

   Ruined or spoiled because of a careless mistake; not working properly.

   Grammar: Used after a linking verb like be or get, not before a noun.

   Patterns

   • be cocked up
   • get cocked up

   The whole schedule is cocked up because of the train strike.

   My computer got cocked up after the update.

   The travel plans are completely cocked up.

2. 2verbtransitiveBritishinformal

   Past tense and past participle of "cock up": to do something badly or make a careless mistake.

   Grammar: Takes an object: cock something up. The object can go between cock and up.

   Patterns

   • cock something up
   • cock up something

   He cocked up the order and sent the wrong size.

   She cocked up the presentation by using the old slides.

   They cocked up the booking and we had no room.

Word forms

Common combinations

cock up the order

He cocked up the order and we got the wrong food.

cock up the arrangements

They cocked up the arrangements for the party.

completely cocked up

The whole thing was completely cocked up.

get something cocked up

The files got cocked up when the system crashed.

Synonyms and how they differ

messed up

The American equivalent; it is milder and more widely used in the US.

bungled

More formal and suggests clumsy handling; "cocked up" is informal and British.

Opposites

Word family

cock-up noun

A mistake or something done badly, e.g. "a major cock-up".

Commonly confused: cocked up or cooked up?

Practice

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