WordGarden.iobuggery
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /bˈʌɡəri/
US
- /bˈʌɡəri/
Meanings
Noun
an offensive term for anal intercourse, especially as a former legal offense
Interjection
an expletive expressing annoyance or frustration
Beyond the definition
The word has a heavy legal and moral legacy. It began as a formal legal term for certain sexual acts, especially anal intercourse, and was used in older criminal law tied to moral policing. Over time—especially in British and other Commonwealth usage—it became a vulgar informal expression for a mess, a failure, or something that has gone badly wrong. This history remains active in how it is heard, so it is still loaded and often considered insulting or degrading. Because of that, it is generally avoided in respectful or professional settings.
The history of this term is tied to legal systems that applied it in narrow, moralizing ways. After the Buggery Act of 1533, it became part of criminal law used to punish certain non-procreative sexual acts, creating a long legacy of stigma and persecution.
In modern informal English—especially in the UK and Australia—its usage shifted toward slang and exclamation. Related forms such as "buggered" and "bugger up" describe things that are ruined, broken, or badly mishandled, and people may use them to vent frustration at a chaotic situation.
Because the word still carries both legal history and sexual obscenity, it is usually restricted to rough, private, or historically specific contexts and should be avoided in formal, inclusive, or public speech.
Examples
- 1
Older law
In older British law, buggery was treated as a serious crime.
- 2
Victorian law
The historian describes men who were imprisoned for buggery under Victorian law.
- 3
British annoyance
“Buggery,” he muttered when the key snapped in the lock.
- Caution
buggery can be a rude British expression of annoyance
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- buggerynoun