botch

¹

[boch]

verb (used with object)

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

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

Other Word Forms

• botcher noun
• botchery 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

Lawyers representing more than 50 people treated by a surgeon being investigated over allegations of botched operations have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for a public inquiry.

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Democracy was restored months later, after the Greek junta engineered a botched coup d'etat in Cyprus that prompted a Turkish invasion.

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But shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said "the confusion created by Labour's botched early release scheme", which was brought in to ease prison overcrowding, was partly to blame.

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A UK Labour spokesperson said: "After 14 years of Tory chaos, a botched Brexit, and damaging austerity – we know families across Wales are struggling."

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Survivors told the BBC that the vessel capsized after coastguards made a botched attempt to tow it.

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Related Words

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