fubar

1 of 2

adjective

fu·​bar ˈfü-ˌbär How to pronounce fubar (audio)
variants or less commonly FUBAR
US slang
: thoroughly confused, disordered, damaged or ruined
Likewise, if users get completely fubar while filling in the multitudes of fields in all the different pages of your dialog, they may choose the ejector seat and press the Cancel button.—Dave Edson, Microsoft Systems Journal, October 1994
Robby paced from side to side, impatient to move out and investigate what looked to be a FUBAR situation.—David Abrams, Fobbit, 2012
For some, this epitomizes that widely held view that the Army—the military in general—usually manages to foul things up in unique ways. (This view has also been immortalized in such wry expressions as SNAFU and FUBAR.)—Patrick P. McCurdy, Chemical Week, 5 Mar. 1986

fubar

2 of 2

transitive verb

fu·​bar ˈfü-ˌbär How to pronounce fubar (audio)
fubared; fubaring; fubars
US slang
: to break or severely damage (something) : to make a mess of (something)
—usually used in passive constructions
But they did know that ecosystems were especially tiresome when they got fubared, so they protected the environment with the same implacable, plodding … mentality that they applied to designing overpasses and culverts.—Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age, 1995
I understand the symbolism here, which suggests that if even McDonald's can't make a buck in Iceland, then Iceland's economy is totally fubared.—Andrew Leonard, Salon.com, 27 Oct. 2009

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

fucked up beyond all recognition

First Known Use

Adjective

1944, in the meaning defined above

Transitive Verb

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fubar was in 1944

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Rhymes for fubar

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Browse Nearby Words

fub
fubar
fubsy
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Cite this Entry

“Fubar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fubar. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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