bungle

[ buhng-guhl ]

verb (used with object)

, bun·gled, bun·gling.

1. to do clumsily and awkwardly; botch:

   He bungled the job.

   Synonyms: ruin, spoil, muddle, mismanage

verb (used without object)

, bun·gled, bun·gling.

1. to perform or work clumsily or inadequately:

   He is a fool who bungles consistently.

noun

1. a bungling performance.
2. that which has been done clumsily or inadequately.

bungle

/ ˈbʌŋɡəl /

verb

1. tr to spoil (an operation) through clumsiness, incompetence, etc; botch

noun

1. a clumsy or unsuccessful performance or piece of work; mistake; botch

Derived Forms

• ˈbungling, adjectivenoun
• ˈbungler, noun

Other Words From

• bungler noun
• bungling·ly adverb
• un·bungling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bungle¹

First recorded in 1520–30; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of bungle¹

C16: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare dialect Swedish bangla to work without results

Example Sentences

Later in the interview, Trump managed to bungle a softball question, passing on several opportunities to walk back his ominous claim that Americans “won’t have to vote anymore” after a second Trump term.

From Salon

They’re more likely to bungle the job than get it right.

From Literature

“It would be really nice if they could hang their hat on some accomplishment,” said Cramer, who also warned of negative consequences if House Republicans bungle an immigration deal.

From Salon

Mr. Lengyel, who played the alto saxophone, was one of the founding members of Mr. Bungle, which formed in the mid-1980s in Northern California as a metal band before embarking on a more experimental, absurdist path.

From New York Times

A founding member of the experimental 1990s rock band Mr. Bungle, Theobald Lengyel, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with murder, after the police in Capitola, Calif., found human remains that they believed were his girlfriend’s in a wooded area of a regional park.

From New York Times

Related Words

• botch
• err
• flub
• fudge
• gum up
• miscalculate
• mishandle
• mismanage
• muff
• screw up