English Explanatory Dictionary

botch

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner; to make a mess of something.
  2. To do (something) without care or skill, or clumsily.
  3. To mend or repair (something) clumsily.
noun
  1. An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.
  2. A patch put on, or a part of a garment patched or mended in a clumsy manner.
  3. A mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing.
  4. A messy, disorderly or confusing combination; a conglomeration; hodgepodge.
  5. One who makes a mess of something.
noun
  1. A tumour or other malignant swelling.
  2. A case or outbreak of boils or sores.

Pronunciation

/bɒt͡ʃ/ /bɑt͡ʃ/ en-us-botch.ogg

Word forms

botch botches botching botched

Etymology

From Middle English bocchen (“to mend”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English bōtettan (“to improve; cure; remedy; repair”), related to boot, or from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair; patch”), related to beat. Doublet of bodge.

Synonyms

ruin bungle ball up blight bumble botch bugger up contaminate corrupt crab deprave disrupt disturb foil fuck up jack up mar mess up mishandle mommick pollute put a crimp in queer screw up soil sour spoil stain undo upset turn upside down upset the applecart vitiate bodge cludge cobble together jury-rig kludge kluge knock together knock up MacGyver make-do patch patch-up bungler

Related words

bodge foul up mess up screw up

Derived words

blotch botcher botchery botch up botchwork botchy botch job botch-up
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