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Synonyms

bungle

American  
[buhng-guhl] / ˈbʌŋ gəl /

verb (used with object)

bungled, bungling

  1. to do clumsily and awkwardly; botch.

    He bungled the job.
    Synonyms:
    ruin, spoil, muddle, mismanage

verb (used without object)

bungled, bungling

  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 British  
/ ˈbʌŋɡəl /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • bungler noun
  • bungling adjective
  • bunglingly adverb
  • unbungling adjective

Etymology

Origin of bungle

First recorded in 1520–30; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Leave it to “SNL” to bungle what should have been a slap shot straight into an open goal.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

Olympic bosses, who never met an issue they couldn’t bungle, fretted about precedent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

Farmer: I thought the Chargers might lose, as we’ve seen before, but they had the good fortune of playing an opponent that also has a tendency to bungle victories within their grasp.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2023

A confirmed bungle could call into question EPO test results dating back decades, Dr Ordway tells the BBC.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2023

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

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.