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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bunglesimple
-
bunglessimple
-
have bungledperfect
-
has bungledperfect
-
am bunglingprogressive
-
are bunglingprogressive
-
is bunglingprogressive
-
have been bunglingperfect progressive
-
has been bunglingperfect progressive
Past
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bungledsimple
-
had bungledperfect
-
was bunglingprogressive
-
were bunglingprogressive
-
had been bunglingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Olympic bosses, who never met an issue they couldn’t bungle, fretted about precedent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
And while it’s disappointing that such a formidable industry figure could bungle a major career pivot, at least she’ll never have to go back to parking cars.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026
Firefighters can also bungle efforts to hit the fire early.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
A confirmed bungle could call into question EPO test results dating back decades, Dr Ordway tells the BBC.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2023
“Seems simple, don’t it? But I’m sure you’ll find a way to bungle it. ”
From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo
Just think of the rows and bungles of the last seven weeks.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
The committee said some prominent bungles included flagging Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Rep. John Lewis for airport scrutiny because their identities mistakenly triggered the watchlist.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 19, 2023
Charlotte and George marry, then George immediately bungles their budding marital bliss.
From Salon ● May 6, 2023
Worst of all, it operates in an accountability-free zone where even the biggest bungles carry no consequences.
From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2021
Some moral principles are excellent; but others are really bungles, and require periodical prison culture.
From 'That Very Mab' by Kendall, May
On the hard-news side, she bungled big moments like an interview with Vladimir Putin, who batted away her questions about 2016 election meddling with an exasperated performance of ignorance.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
Her claims have triggered demonstrations, promises to tighten the law and criticism that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has bungled his response.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
After another bungled team performance from McLaren, Max Verstappen is now within reach of what seemed to be an improbable fifth consecutive drivers' world championship.
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
He said Gascón and Middleton bungled the case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
That bungled goodbye hurts me to this day.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Bernthal, who plays Sonny, has his own wayward machismo and hapless sensitivity, the very qualities that made Al Pacino unforgettable in the role of the bungling bandit with a Catholic conscience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
The biggest problem was Mr. Carney’s bungling of Havel’s work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
His true, bungling nature—something that’ll likely be on display as a gubernatorial candidate—shines through in the smaller moments.
From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2025
The Lions completed a historic comeback, with a little help from a bungling David Campese.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2025
In this building lived the bungling managers, Mr. and Mrs. Trepid; their assistant, Morgan; and thirteen children, ranging in age from six months to thirteen years.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
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.
