How to Use the Word FUCK: 26 Different Ways to Use it

If you gave a fuck at all about the fucking amazing English language, you would stop fucking around and study the word fuck.

When your friends start fucking with you just tell them to shut the fuck up and to go fuck themselves, because you need to fucking study.

 Don’t be a fuck up. Instead of getting fucked up at bars like a dumbfuck trying to fuck another alcoholic fuck, be a cheapfuck and stay at home and learn to use the word fuck. So when someone asks you, “What the fuck does that mean?” You don’t have to answer, “I don’t fucking know.”

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So what the fuck are you waiting for? Don’t fuck yourself over. Start studying now.

NOTE: Just to be clear, we’re not promoting the irresponsible use of swear words. Much to the contrary, we think that if you are going to swear, you should have a high degree of awareness as to what you are communicating and the effect it has on people around you. Even if you have an intellectual understanding of how to swear, it doesn’t give you the deeply culturally conditioned reaction that natives have. They grew up in their families learning what was appropriate or not.

The Word FUCK

As you can see from the above paragraphs, fuck is one of the most varying and interchangeable words that exists in the English language (and probably ALL languages as well). It’s also known as the the F-word and the F-bomb.

While the word fuck is often seen as the most vulgar word in the English language, it’s very commonly used in everyday speech, and you will encounter it all over the place in many different types of media. As you’ll see below, there are tons of different songs, movies, TV shows, and other media that use the word fuck.

To learn more about other swear words, check out the article How to Use Swear Words in English.

Whether or not you plan to say the word fuck, to fully understand the English language, you must understand this versatile word and its many, many uses.

Fuck can be used in almost every informal situation and to express any emotion. The only thing that matters is what tone of voice you use and what words surround it.

However, please note that many of these phrases are offensive and you should be careful about who you say them to. For example, if you say “fuck you,” to someone, they may want to fight you. Offensive phrases include a red OFFENSIVE tag.

Test yourself by looking through these various different expressions (both at the beginning of the article and the numbered phrases below) involving the word fuck and see how many you already know. Then, go back and read all of the expressions to learn the phrases you don’t already know and deepen your understanding of the ones you already know. (Note: some of the uses of fuck in the introduction will be defined in Part II of this article.)

Be sure to check out the videos for the different expressions to see how they’re used in the media and to hear how they’re pronounced.

NOTE: PG-13 stands for Parental Guidance for those under 13. It’s used in movies as a rating of who should see the movie. The PG-13 tag will help you convey the same meaning without being as vulgar.

1. What The Fuck? (WTF)

This is a common phrase that’s used when you are confused, irritated, or angry. It’s often abbreviated to “wtf.”

There are many different ways you can add what the fuck to other words to add emphasis. Check out the video below for many examples.

PG-13 version—What the hell?

Example:

• You can’t find your keys—”What the fuck? Where are my keys?”

Examples from the video:

• What the fuck is this?

• What the fuck are you talking about?

• What the fuck is with this guy? Who is he?

• What the fuck are you doing here?

• What the fuck is going on? (going on means happening)

• Where the fuck are you going?

• What the fuck are you thinking?

Note:  In a recent evolution of the language, “What the Fuck” is starting to be reduced to only so that you can’t hear the “What” very much, and people are even starting to use “The Fuck” instead of “What the Fuck”

2. Fuck!

Used to express anger or pain.

PG-13 version—Crap.

 Example:

• You’re playing soccer and miss an easy goal and say, “Fuck!”

3. Fuck it.

You say fuck it when you just don’t care anymore. It can also be used to admit defeat.

PG-13 version—Screw it.

Examples:

• After looking online for a video for 10 minutes you say, “Fuck it, I give up.”

• You’re playing chess with someone and they’re winning by a lot so you say, “Fuck it, you win. I don’t want to play anymore.”

Although the above music video doesn’t say “fuck it,” the overall meaning of the song—as the title suggests—is “fuck it, I’m done with this relationship.”

4. Holy fuck!

Used to express surprise. You can also say “holy shit” or “holy fucking shit.”

PG-13 version—Jesus Christ.

Example:

• You look into your bank account and see an extra $1,000 and you say, “Holy fuck. How did that get there?”

5. Fuck you/him/her/that. OFFENSIVE

Used to express anger, rage, hatred, or contempt with someone or something else.

PG-13 version—Screw you/him/her/that.

Examples:

• You hear that you need to do a 10 page essay by Friday and you say, “Fuck that.”

• Someone steals your backpack and you say, “Fuck him.”

• Someone doesn’t like your couch and says, “Fuck your couch.” 

6. Go fuck yourself. OFFENSIVE

Used in similar situations as “fuck you,” “go fuck yourself,” is used to express anger, frustration, hatred, or contempt with someone else. “Go fuck yourself” literally means to masturbate.

PG-13 version—Go screw yourself.

Example:

• Someone asks you if you want to pay for the bill. And you respond, “Hey I got a better idea, why don’t you go fuck yourself?”

 7. Did you fuck her? Was she a good fuck?

 Fuck can also be a vulgar and very informal way to say to have sex. It can also be used to refer to whether the sex was good or not.

PG-13 version—Did you screw her? Was she a good screw?




Example:

• “Did you finally fuck her last night?”
  “Yeah man. It was awesome. She’s a great fuck.”

 8. Fuck no / fuck yeah.

You add fuck in front of no or yes when you want to add emphasis to it.

PG-13 version—Hell no or hell yeah.

Examples:

• Your friend asks you if you want to drive to the party, and you respond, “Fuck no. I drove the last five times.”

• “Do you want to watch Friends?”
  “Fuck yeah!

9. Fuck me.

While fuck me can be said when you’re having sex (most often by the girl, but not always), you will more commonly hear it being said in the context of feeling astonished or frustrated/upset at yourself.

PG-13 version—God dammit.

Example:

• You forget to bring your soccer cleats (shoes) to play soccer and say, “Fuck me, now I can’t play.”

10. Don’t fuck me over.

To fuck someone over means to do them an injustice. In other words, it can mean to take advantage of, ignore a promise you made to them (which gets them in some kind of trouble), or to deceive someone out of their money or possessions.

PG-13 version—Don’t screw me over.

Examples:

• “I’m trusting you with the keys to my store, don’t fuck me over.”

• “You fucked me over, man! You said you would be there to pick me up. When you weren’t there I had to walk home and I got robbed!

 11. Are you fucking with me?

To fuck with someone means to joke with them.

 If you ask someone angrily, “Are you fucking with me?!” it can also mean are you lying to me?

PG-13 version—Are you messing with me?

Example:

• “Wait, did you just say you can eat 15 bananas in one sitting. Are you fucking with me?”

12. Stop fucking around.

To fuck around means to not be doing anything serious, usually when there’s important work to be done.

PG-13 version—Stop screwing around.

Example:

• “Stop fucking around on Facebook and let’s get to work.”

13. He’s fucked.

To be fucked means that you are in a hopelessly bad situation that you’re unable to recover from.

PG-13 version—He’s screwed.

Example:

• There’s no way he’s going to pass his class. He’s fucked.

14. He’s fucked up.

To be fucked up means to have taken way too many drugs (including alcohol) or to have gotten hurt badly (often from a fight).

To fuck up means to make a really bad mistake.

To fuck someone up means to hurt them badly.

PG-13 Version: he’s messed up, he messed up, or they messed him up.

Examples:

• “Steve drank way too much tonight. He’s fucked up!”

• “You bet on the U.S. to win the World Cup? You fucked up! There’s no way they’re going to win!”

• “Joe was hitting on Kevin’s girlfriend so Kevin fucked him up.”

15. That’s fucking stupid.

Fucking is commonly added before adjectives to add emphasis.

PG-13 Version: That’s fricking stupid or that’s freaking stupid.

Example:

• “I’m so fucking hungry right now.”

16. What a stupid fuck. Offensive

Fuck can also be used as a noun, but there is usually in adjective describing what type of fuck the person is. It is also used in a negative context.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zOylXW_bHo

Examples:

• “Sarah lost her purse again, what a dumb fuck.”

• “He wouldn’t give me 25 cents! What a stingy fuck.”

Here are some examples of being a dumb fuck:

17. I don’t give a fuck.

To not give a fuck means you couldn’t care less about something.

You can also say I don’t give a shit.

PG-13 Version: None. The closest you can get is to say “I couldn’t care less.” 

Examples:

• “Don’t do it, it’s dangerous!”
  
  “I don’t give a fuck, I’m going.”

• “Are you sure you want the new iPhone? It’s not that great and it’s really expensive..”
  
  “I don’t give a fuck, I’m buying it.”

18. Fuck off. Offensive

To fuck off is commonly used to tell someone to leave you or your stuff alone.

PG-13 Version: Go to hell.

Examples:

• A homeless person asks you for money and you say, “Fuck off.”

• Your friend keeps talking to you when you’re trying to work and you say to him, “Fuck off dude, I’m trying to work.”

19. Where the fuck are we?

This is used when you are totally lost and have no idea where you are.

PG-13 Version: Where the hell are we?

Example:

• “I don’t recognize the names of any of these streets. Where the fuck are we?”

20. I don’t fucking know.

You can add the word fucking to verbs like know and care to add emphasis. This is used when you think it’s obvious that you don’t know or if someone has already asked you a bunch of times before.

PG-13 Version: I don’t freaking/fricking know.

Examples:

• “Are you pregnant?”
  
  “I already told you, I don’t fucking know.”

• “But you’re stealing candy from babies…”
  
  “I don’t fucking care.”

21. Shut the fuck up. Offensive

Here, fuck is used to add emphasis to shut up, which means to stop talking or stop making noise.

PG-13 Version: Shut the hell up.

Example:

• “Shut the fuck up, I’m trying to work!”

22. Fuck up

A fuck up is a useless person who hasn’t done anything with his or her life.

PG-13 Version: Screw up

Example:

• “He’s such a fuck up. All he does is cause problems.”

23. Who the fuck are you? Offensive

When you add fuck to who are you, you are implying that the person is no one special and that they don’t belong here.

PG-13 Version: Who the hell are you?

24. Abso-fucking-lutely, de-fucking-licious

You can also add fuck into the middle of words to add emphasis to them.

PG-13 Version: Abso-fricking-lutely, de-freaking-licious

Example:

• “Do you want to go the Rio de Janiero next weekend?
  
  “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

• You’re arguing with a friend and some stranger tells you guys to calm down, and you say to him, “Who the fuck are you?”

25. Oprah Fucking Winfrey

You can add fucking in between someone’s first and last name to emphasize that you’re talking about an awesome person.

PG-13 Version: Oprah Freaking/Fricking Winfrey

Examples:

• “Who did you take a picture with?”
  
  “Oprah fucking Winfrey that’s who!”

• “Man, this song is lame. Whoever wrote it sucks.”
  
  “Woah dude! That’s Michael fucking Jackson you’re talking about!”

26. Mother fucker, fuckface, fucktard, fuckstick. Offensive

Here are some various names you can call someone that have the word fuck in them. Mother fucker  is considered to be one of the worst names you can call someone, as it means you have sex with your own mother.

• Fuckface is another word for a cock sucker, except instead of sucking cock, the guy just fucks your mouth.

• Fucktard comes from the word retard.

• Fuckstick is another word for dildo (i.e. a stick that you fuck).

Conclusion

Please remember that a lot of people will take offense if you say the word fuck. Make sure you don’t say it around kids!

While it’s fine to say fuck around your friends, try to avoid saying it to people you don’t know, unless you want to get in a fight with them.

That being said, many movies you’ll watch and songs you listen to will use the word fuck in its various forms, so it’s important to understand the many different uses.

If there some uses for fuck that weren’t mentioned here, please post them in the comments.

If you want to test your knowledge of the word fuck, I highly recommend the movie The Usual Suspects.

For more information about swearing, check out the article How to Use Swear Words in English.