Damaged, broken, or ruined; or exhausted and worn out (chiefly British slang).
From 'bugger' which originated as a pejorative term for heretics in the 12th century (from 'Bougre', referring to Bulgarian heretics), later becoming general slang for something broken or worthless.
The word 'bugger' traveled from religious insult to computer terminology—programmers called mysterious code problems 'bugs,' possibly influenced by this older slang meaning anything that goes wrong.
Originally a slur derived from 'Bougre' (Bulgarians, associated with heresy). Later weaponized against LGBTQ+ individuals, especially gay men. Retains homophobic connotations in British English.
Avoid in formal contexts. If used colloquially for 'broken/ruined,' provide context that distances from slur origins.
["broken","malfunctioned","damaged","defeated"]
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