bungle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
bungles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bungled,
past participle, past
-
bungling
present participle
verb (used without object)
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bungles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bungled,
past participle, past
-
bungling
present participle
noun
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a bungling performance.
-
that which has been done clumsily or inadequately.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bunglesimple
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bunglessimple
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have bungledperfect
-
has bungledperfect
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am bunglingprogressive
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are bunglingprogressive
-
is bunglingprogressive
-
have been bunglingperfect progressive
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has been bunglingperfect progressive
Past
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bungledsimple
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had bungledperfect
-
was bunglingprogressive
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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:
Despite being “optimistic” about the technology, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told investors last year that “the customer experience is not good,” citing AI’s tendency to bungle prices and other basic product information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
There are no lyrics to bungle or judgments about pitch, just the sensation of instantly getting on the same page with dozens of strangers and sensing the powerful community in that moment.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
So, yes, let’s hold college presidents’ feet to the fire when they bungle on a major issue.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 17, 2023
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
And this time I will not bungle things!
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Its title comes from a Delhi University slang: to "give it those ones" is to perform one's usual act - bungles included.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
That’s become a common theme for many of the bungles where AI is involved: It’s not the tool, but the user.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 24, 2023
Charlotte and George marry, then George immediately bungles their budding marital bliss.
From Salon ● May 6, 2023
She cheerfully charts her errors in judgment, her bungles, her myopia.
From New York Times ● Aug. 18, 2020
It is the little things one bungles at.
From Howards End by E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster
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
A report commissioned by the city would later fault him and the police chief at the time for a bungled emergency response that left residents feeling abandoned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
On the bungled hiring of a management team whose role was not entirely clear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
Ob, no, Reynie thought, he's bungled it somehow.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
I’m calling my shot: This will be the year that the Three Lions, the bungling, deadbeat clown show of international soccer, finally do it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 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
Funneled into the framework of a prom slasher, the bungling of "Fear Street: Prom Queen" feels downright pernicious.
From Salon ● May 24, 2025
Outside again, he spent a bungling five minutes sloppily tying the cords holding his suitcase together, and, when that was more or less accomplished, he hoisted the suitcase with a grunt and began walking west.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
