verb / interjection
eff
A mild way of saying “fuck”.
Eff, he muttered when the handle broke.
Etymology
Eff spells out the name of the letter F. Substituting the initial letter’s name for the swear word produces a milder expression while preserving the intended reference.
More examples
- She told him to eff off.
- He complained that someone had effed up the schedule.
- The dialogue softened the stronger swear word to eff.
Forms
eff · effs · effed · effing
Similar words
- fudge
- Fudge can substitute for the same stronger swear word; eff more directly uses its initial letter.