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
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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
When she did indeed bungle the lyrics a few minutes into the song, she burst out laughing and said, "What a fun time to just realize you're stupid."
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2023
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
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
Charlotte and George marry, then George immediately bungles their budding marital bliss.
From Salon ● May 6, 2023
But if those were my worst bungles in 12 months, I’ll settle for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2023
Among the other bungles that the inspector general found were duplicate payments in which someone’s filing status or filing partner changed from 2019 to 2020, and payments that were sent to U.S. territories.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 25, 2022
Take him with you, openly or secretly as you will, and if he bungles I shall deal with him.
From The Justice of the King by Drummond, Hamilton
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
It began as gossip, and long-lens photographs of unknown provenance, and it has since unraveled into another textbook case of bungled crisis management.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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
To make it worse, he bungled the patch job, and a couple of weeks later my ass started to rot away.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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
Funneled into the framework of a prom slasher, the bungling of "Fear Street: Prom Queen" feels downright pernicious.
From Salon ● May 24, 2025
“Me? What are you doing? Skulking around in the wee hours, bungling the staircase so as not to be heard.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
