noun · phrase · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:snă'fo͞o
UK:'snăfo͞o
UK:/snæˈfuː/
UK:/ˈsnæfuː/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:snă'fo͞o
US:'snăfo͞o
US:/snæˈfu/
US:/ˈsnæfu/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -uː
rhymes with -ɑːfuː
CMU ARPABET:S N AE1 F UW0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; a ridiculously chaotic situation; confusion or chaos regarded as the normal state.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A major glitch or breakdown; a mistake or blunder.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
2007, Susan Glairon, Paperwork SNAFU, The Daily Times-Call, LongmontFYI Because of a paperwork snafu, he also hasn’t been able to get his Army discharge papers and is still listed as an active-duty soldier...
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Alternative letter-case form of SNAFU.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
phrase
Meaning 4
Acronym of situation normal, all fucked up /situation normal, all fouled up.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: snarl, snarl up, embrangle
History
Etymology
The term was born during the Second World War as an acronym of the initials of the words situation normal, all fucked up, which summed up the chaos and confusion of the war from an individual soldier’s point of view.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
бъркотия
(bǎrkotija)
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Bulgarian:
хаос
(haos)
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Finnish:
hässäkkä
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
French:
bordel
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
French:
merdier
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
German:
tanzendes Chaos
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
German:
Chaos
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Hungarian:
zűrzavar
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Hungarian:
káosz
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Hungarian:
rumli
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Hungarian:
összevisszaság
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
puttanaio
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
troiaio
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
bordello
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
casino
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
macello
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
ginepraio
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
ambarabà
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
ambaradam
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Italian:
merdaio
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Polish:
bałagan
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Polish:
burdel
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Polish:
rozpierducha
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Polish:
sajgon
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Polish:
bajer
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Russian:
пу́таница
(pútanica)
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Russian:
неразбери́ха
(nerazberíxa)
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Russian:
барда́к
(bardák)
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Russian:
ералаш
(jeralaš)
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Spanish:
confusión
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Spanish:
caos
— confused, muddled, or messed-up condition or state; ridiculously chaotic situation
Finnish:
sotku
— major glitch or breakdown
German:
Patzer
— major glitch or breakdown
Hungarian:
zűr
— major glitch or breakdown
Hungarian:
gebasz
— major glitch or breakdown
Polish:
potknięcie
— major glitch or breakdown
Polish:
wpadka
— major glitch or breakdown
Polish:
obsuwa
— major glitch or breakdown
Polish:
wtopa
— major glitch or breakdown
Russian:
ошибка
(ošibka)
— major glitch or breakdown
Russian:
ляп
(ljap)
— major glitch or breakdown
Russian:
косяк
(kosjak)
— major glitch or breakdown
German:
Panne
— Translations
German:
Chaos
— Translations
Polish:
potknięcie
— Translations
Polish:
wpadka
— Translations
Polish:
obsuwa
— Translations
Polish:
wtopa
— Translations
Spanish:
caos
— Translations
German:
verpatzen
— screw up, fuck up, or foul up
German:
versauen
— screw up, fuck up, or foul up
Polish:
robić wtopę
— screw up, fuck up, or foul up
Polish:
zrobić wtopę
— screw up, fuck up, or foul up
