"screwy" meaning in English

See screwy in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈskɹuː.i/ Forms: screwier [comparative], more screwy [comparative], screwiest [superlative], most screwy [superlative]
Rhymes: -uːi Etymology: screw + -y. 1820, original meaning “tipsy, slightly drunk”; meaning “crazy, ridiculous” first recorded 1887. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|screw|y}} screw + -y Head templates: {{en-adj|er|more}} screwy (comparative screwier or more screwy, superlative screwiest or most screwy)
  1. (informal) Crazy; silly; ridiculous Tags: informal Synonyms: insane
    Sense id: en-screwy-en-adj-nMTLn81- Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -y Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 36 39 6 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y: 30 32 38 0
  2. (archaic, informal) Tipsy; slightly drunk. Tags: archaic, informal Synonyms: drunk
    Sense id: en-screwy-en-adj-FVrgu8SV Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -y Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 36 39 6 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y: 30 32 38 0
  3. (archaic) Exacting; extortionate; close. Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-screwy-en-adj-8QLCj2Aa Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -y Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 36 39 6 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y: 30 32 38 0
  4. (archaic) Worthless. Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-screwy-en-adj-t-Q6PBDo
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: have a screw loose, screwball, screw up

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for screwy meaning in English (3.5kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "screw",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "screw + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "screw + -y. 1820, original meaning “tipsy, slightly drunk”; meaning “crazy, ridiculous” first recorded 1887.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "screwier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more screwy",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "screwiest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most screwy",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "screwy (comparative screwier or more screwy, superlative screwiest or most screwy)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "have a screw loose"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "screwball"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "screw up"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 36 39 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 32 38 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That's a screwy idea; I am not going to fly all the way to Antarctica just to see a penguin!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Rickford Grant, Linux Made Easy: The Official Guide to Xandros 3 for Everyday Users, San Francisco: No Starch Press, page 155",
          "text": "Now, you don't actually have to have another printer in order to add another printer. This might sound a bit screwy on my part, but it is true.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Crazy; silly; ridiculous"
      ],
      "id": "en-screwy-en-adj-nMTLn81-",
      "links": [
        [
          "Crazy",
          "crazy"
        ],
        [
          "silly",
          "silly"
        ],
        [
          "ridiculous",
          "ridiculous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) Crazy; silly; ridiculous"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "insane"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 36 39 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 32 38 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1868, Memorials of a theological college., London: Houlston & Wright, page 9",
          "text": "\"A tipsy man,\" said Spearman, \"is generally noisy ; and I confess I was screwy on Wednesday.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tipsy; slightly drunk."
      ],
      "id": "en-screwy-en-adj-FVrgu8SV",
      "links": [
        [
          "Tipsy",
          "tipsy"
        ],
        [
          "drunk",
          "drunk"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic, informal) Tipsy; slightly drunk."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "drunk"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 36 39 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 32 38 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Exacting; extortionate; close."
      ],
      "id": "en-screwy-en-adj-8QLCj2Aa",
      "links": [
        [
          "Exacting",
          "exacting"
        ],
        [
          "extortionate",
          "extortionate"
        ],
        [
          "close",
          "close"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Exacting; extortionate; close."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Worthless."
      ],
      "id": "en-screwy-en-adj-t-Q6PBDo",
      "links": [
        [
          "Worthless",
          "worthless"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Worthless."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈskɹuː.i/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uːi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "screwy"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms suffixed with -y",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "Rhymes:English/uːi",
    "Rhymes:English/uːi/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "screw",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "screw + -y",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "screw + -y. 1820, original meaning “tipsy, slightly drunk”; meaning “crazy, ridiculous” first recorded 1887.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "screwier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more screwy",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "screwiest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most screwy",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "screwy (comparative screwier or more screwy, superlative screwiest or most screwy)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "have a screw loose"
    },
    {
      "word": "screwball"
    },
    {
      "word": "screw up"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That's a screwy idea; I am not going to fly all the way to Antarctica just to see a penguin!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Rickford Grant, Linux Made Easy: The Official Guide to Xandros 3 for Everyday Users, San Francisco: No Starch Press, page 155",
          "text": "Now, you don't actually have to have another printer in order to add another printer. This might sound a bit screwy on my part, but it is true.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Crazy; silly; ridiculous"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Crazy",
          "crazy"
        ],
        [
          "silly",
          "silly"
        ],
        [
          "ridiculous",
          "ridiculous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) Crazy; silly; ridiculous"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "insane"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1868, Memorials of a theological college., London: Houlston & Wright, page 9",
          "text": "\"A tipsy man,\" said Spearman, \"is generally noisy ; and I confess I was screwy on Wednesday.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tipsy; slightly drunk."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Tipsy",
          "tipsy"
        ],
        [
          "drunk",
          "drunk"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic, informal) Tipsy; slightly drunk."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "drunk"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Exacting; extortionate; close."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Exacting",
          "exacting"
        ],
        [
          "extortionate",
          "extortionate"
        ],
        [
          "close",
          "close"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Exacting; extortionate; close."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Worthless."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Worthless",
          "worthless"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Worthless."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈskɹuː.i/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uːi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "screwy"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.