botch

¹

[ boch ]

verb (used with object)

1. to spoil by poor work; bungle (often followed by up ):

   He botched up the job thoroughly.

   Synonyms: flub, butcher, muff, mismanage, ruin

2. to do or say in a bungling manner.
3. to mend or patch in a clumsy manner.

noun

1. a clumsy or poor piece of work; bungle:

   He made a complete botch of his first attempt at baking.

2. a clumsily added part or patch.
3. a disorderly or confused combination.

botch

²

[ boch ]

noun

1. a swelling on the skin; a boil.
2. an eruptive disease.

botch

/ bɒtʃ /

verb

1. to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude
2. to repair badly or clumsily

noun

1. Also calledbotch-up a badly done piece of work or repair (esp in the phrase make a botch of ( something ))

Derived Forms

• ˈbotcher, noun

Other Words From

• botch·er noun
• botch·er·y noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of botch¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bocchen “to patch up”; perhaps to be identified with bocchen “to swell up, bulge” (verbal derivative of bocche botch ² ), though sense development unclear

Origin of botch²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bocche, botch(e), from Old North French boche, dialectal variant of Old French, Middle French boce boss ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of botch¹

C14: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

But so was a botched midfield move that gave Andrew Kellaway a walk-in.

From BBC

A botched Games could mean ticket errors and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

From Los Angeles Times

Health students saw high levels of dropouts after botched exam papers in 2022, which saw the exam board responsible fined £300,000.

From BBC

To not only botch this chance but also to do so without even scoring a touchdown?

From Los Angeles Times

Earlier this month, the justices let stand a Pennsylvania court decision that allowed voters with botched mail-in ballots to cast provisional ballots in person, which Finkelstein said was reassuring.

From Salon

Related Words

• bobble
• bumble
• bungle
• err
• flub
• fumble
• miscalculate
• mishandle
• misjudge
• mismanage
• muff
• screw up