what the fuck
English
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Phrase
- (interrogative, vulgar, slang) An intensive form of what.
- Synonyms: what in God's name, what in tarnation, what in the world, what on Earth, what the dickens, what the Devil, what the deuce, what the heck, what the hell, what the hey
- What the fuck were you thinking? What the fuck was I thinking? What the fuck are you doing?
- What the fuck is going on? What the fuck just happened? What the fuck is wrong with you?
Derived terms
Related terms
Related terms
Translations
intensive form of what
Interjection
- (vulgar) Used to express astonishment, shock, incredulity, or disbelief (as an ellipsis of longer expressions).
- 2024 September 11, Richard Brody, ““Winner” Takes Political Comedy Seriously”, in The New Yorker[1]:
- The proof is on my computer. It’s on all these people’s computers, and everyone around here is just going along with that. What the fuck? [quoting Emilia Jones as Reality Winner in the film Winner]
- (vulgar) Used to express nonchalance or the dismissal of any consequences of something one is about to do.
- I finally said “eh, what the fuck” and quit my job.
- 1983, Risky Business, spoken by Miles (Curtis Armstrong):
- Every now and then say, "What the fuck." "What the fuck" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future.
Synonyms
- wtf, WTF, tf, wdf
- what the eff (euphemistic)
Synonyms
- (expresses astonishment, incredulity): what the actual fuck, what on Earth, what in the world, what the heck, what the hell, what the...
- (expresses nonchalance): fuck it, what the heck, what the hell, what the hey, whatever, why not, who cares, so what
Descendants
- → Chinese: 花惹發／花惹发 (huārěfā)
- → Dutch: wat de fok
- → French: ouate de phoque
Translations
expressing astonishment
expressing nonchalance
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