Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

What Does Fouled Up Beyond All Repair Mean?

Fouled up beyond all repair (FUBAR) is a slang term that originated and was popularized during World War II by American soldiers. The term means that a situation or object is so messed up that it is beyond being salvageable. There are also other, more obscene, variations of the term.

Techopedia Explains Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

The origins of this word is are unclear but some say that it was influenced by the German word “furchtbar,” which means “terrible.” It is also used as an expression for extreme desperation or helplessness.

Related Reading

Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…

All Posts by Margaret Rouse