bork: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Informal, journalistic, political, technical (computing).
Quick answer
What does “bork” mean?
To obstruct or block (a nominee or proposal) through systematic criticism, often in a politically motivated way.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To obstruct or block (a nominee or proposal) through systematic criticism, often in a politically motivated way.
To cause something to malfunction, fail, or become inoperable, particularly through technical or bureaucratic means; (computing) to damage or render a system unusable, typically through configuration errors.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The political sense is more widely understood in American English due to its origin. The computing sense is understood in both varieties, but is more common in tech communities globally.
Connotations
In AmE, strongly associated with partisan political tactics. In BrE, the political connotation may be less immediate, with the computing sense often being primary.
Frequency
Low-frequency in general use. Higher frequency in American political journalism and global tech/IT discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “bork” in a Sentence
[subject] borked [object] (e.g., The committee borked the nominee.)[object] got borked (e.g., The update got borked.)[subject] is borked (stative/adjectival use) (e.g., My laptop is borked.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bork” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The latest update has completely borked the network settings.
- They tried to bork the proposal in committee.
American English
- Opposition senators threatened to bork the judicial nominee.
- I borked my computer by deleting a critical system file.
adjective
British English
- Don't use that server; it's utterly borked.
- After the power surge, the router was borked.
American English
- The nomination is considered borked after the hearings.
- My phone is borked—it won't charge anymore.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; could be used metaphorically for a project that has been deliberately sabotaged.
Academic
Very rare; might appear in political science papers discussing U.S. judicial nominations.
Everyday
Uncommon in general conversation; most likely in tech contexts among non-experts.
Technical
Common in IT/developer slang meaning 'broken' or 'malfunctioning'.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bork”
- Using it in formal writing without explanation.
- Confusing the past tense/participle 'borked' with 'broke'.
- Overusing the term outside of its specific political or tech contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is informal and originates from journalism and political slang, though it has gained traction in technical jargon.
Yes, the past participle 'borked' is frequently used adjectivally, especially in computing (e.g., 'a borked installation').
'Bork' often implies a more catastrophic, irreparable, or deliberate failure, especially one caused by interference or error, whereas 'break' is more general.
No, that is a humorous coincidence. The political term comes from Judge Robert Bork's surname. The computing term evolved from the political one.
To obstruct or block (a nominee or proposal) through systematic criticism, often in a politically motivated way.
Bork: in British English it is pronounced /bɔːk/, and in American English it is pronounced /bɔːrk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be completely borked”
- “to bork something up”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a BORKen plate (broken) after a political argument where someone's reputation was shattered.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICAL/TECHNICAL FAILURE IS BEING BORKED (A process or system is rendered inert through hostile or erroneous action).
Practice
Quiz
In which context did the term 'bork' originate?