# bitch up

CEFR C2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bitch-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to spoil or ruin something by making a mistake or doing a bad job.

For teachers: to bungle, botch, or ruin a task or situation; a highly informal and potentially offensive vulgarism used to describe failure.

## Examples

- I really bitched up that interview yesterday.
- He tried to fix the sink himself but completely bitched up the plumbing.
- The project was going smoothly until the new manager bitched up the entire schedule with unnecessary changes.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He bitched the plan up." but "He bitched up the plan." — while some phrasal verbs are separable, this specific vulgar idiom is almost always used with the particle immediately following the verb.

## Usage notes

- this is vulgar slang; use it only in very casual settings with people you know well.
- Teaching tip: advise students that while they may hear this in movies or casual speech, it is considered rude and should be avoided in professional or formal contexts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.