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fuck
/ˈfʌk/
Meaning
To have sexual intercourse; used far more often as a strong exclamation, intensifier or imperative dismissal.Machine-assisted translation
Pronunciation
- IPA
- /ˈfʌk/
“fuck” — short u as in “luck”.
How it's used
The strongest everyday English swear. As an intensifier among friends it is routine; aimed at a person it reads as an attack.Machine-assisted translation
Cultural context
Germanic origin, attested in English from the 16th century; still the reference point for broadcast profanity rules.Machine-assisted translation
Literal meaning
to copulate
When to avoid it
Situations where people would rather you did not say it.
- At work — Avoid
- At school — Depends. Some school codes treat it as an immediate sanction.
- On the street — Depends. Aimed at someone it can turn into a fight.
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to these entries.
Passages derived from these dictionary entries are redistributed under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.