pear-shaped
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Usually in the phrase go pear-shaped: wrong, awry.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “pear-shaped” mean?
Usually in the phrase go pear-shaped: wrong, awry.
Is “pear-shaped” formal or informal?
pear-shaped is generally slang.