botched

American

[bocht] / bɒtʃt /

adjective

spoiled by poor or clumsy work; bungled.

The teachers are up in arms about the botched rollout of the new standards, which caused unnecessary confusion and stress for them and their students.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of botch.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

botchedly

adverb

Etymology

Origin of botched

botch ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

He and several others were arrested for their role in the botched operation, but the charges were dropped in 2022 as prosecutors saw "no prospects of success".

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Stilwell, who refrains from sharing his first name, operates on Catalina Island, a dumping ground for officers who’ve either botched cases or run afoul of their superiors.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

At hearings last December, defense attorneys attempted to suggest police in Altoona, central Pennsylvania, had botched the arrest.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Investors have been especially displeased with the botched rollout of Apple Intelligence, which was first announced in 2024 but has been continuously delayed.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

There is talk of a botched investigation, suggestions that a change in personnel may be required.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

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