bungle
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a bungling performance.
-
that which has been done clumsily or inadequately.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bungle
First recorded in 1520–30; of uncertain origin
Explanation
Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, dropping something, tripping and falling: these are some classic bungles — and they’re always embarrassing. Bungles are bummers, it’s true. Ever said something awkward in front of a grandparent or dropped a cake on someone’s lap? Those are bungles — accidents that make you blush. Bungle can also be used as a verb when someone acts like a fool or simply messes everything up, as in “The teacher bungled her lecture because she left her notes at home,” or “My bungling dad fell into the punch bowl. Again.”
Vocabulary lists containing bungle
And Then There Were None
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The Things They Carried
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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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.
Bungle closed the acquisition of Glencore-backed agricultural-products trader Viterra in July.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025
In a 1991 review of a Mr. Bungle performance, the late Jonathan Gold, The Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic, wrote that “the nearly two-hour set seemed to drag on to infinity.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2024
Lengyel left Mr. Bungle in 1996 after playing saxophone, clarinet and keyboards on several recordings including the band’s self-titled 1991 debut album and “Disco Volante” in 1995.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2024
The company is also expanding its software business, announcing in February the acquisition of Bungle Inc, the creator of the “Halo” videogame for $3.6 billion.
From Reuters • May 10, 2022
The rain held up, and Agnes scurried over to the store, bringing back, huddled in a small covered basket, Popocatepetl, Almira, and Bungle, who all seemed very glad to rejoin Spotty.
From The Corner House Girls How they moved to Milton, what they found, and what they did by Hill, Grace Brooks
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.
