shambolic

American

[sham-bol-ik] / ʃæmˈbɒl ɪk /

adjective

Chiefly British Informal.

very disorganized; messy or confused.

I’ve had a shambolic year, the worst ever.

shambolic British

/ ʃæmˈbɒlɪk /

adjective

informal completely disorganized; chaotic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shambolic

First recorded in 1960–65; alteration of shambles (in the sense “a disordered place”); probably on the model of symbolic ( 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.

See Examples For:

shambolic

Prosecutors said Bush ran a "shambolic and chaotic" operation at the Hessle Road premises and his "appalling" offending had caused "extreme emotional pain, anguish and upset".

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The next day, Witkoff was again with Trump, and Don Jr. and Eric Trump, in a shambolic livestreamed announcement of their new crypto venture: World Liberty Financial.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

But the American dream of winning the tournament for the first time fizzled out in shambolic fashion in the early hours of Tuesday morning with a hugely disappointing defeat by Belgium.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Public transport meanwhile is shambolic, with most commercial vehicles dilapidated and lacking working air conditioning.

From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026

This whole big shambolic miracle machine only keeps rolling because we are an amazing thing—a democratic republic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

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