botched

UK: /ˈbɒtʃt/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

botch¹ /bɑtʃ/   v. 

1. to spoil by poor or clumsy work;
   bungle: [~ + object]
   He botched the throw to first base.
   [~ + up + object]
   He botched up every job we gave him.
   [~ + object + up]
   He botched it up; I can tell.
   [no object* ~ + up]
   He always botches up.

n. [countable]

2. a poor piece of work;
   mess;
   bungle:
   He's made a real botch of that paint job.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

botch¹  (boch), v.t. 

1. to spoil by poor work; bungle (often fol. by up):
   He botched up the job thoroughly.
2. to do or say in a bungling manner.
3. to mend or patch in a clumsy manner.

n. 

4. a clumsy or poor piece of work;
   mess;
   bungle:
   He made a complete botch of his first attempt at baking.
5. a clumsily added part or patch.
6. a disorderly or confused combination;
   conglomeration.

• 1350–1400; Middle English bocchen to patch up; perh. to be identified with bocchen to swell up, bulge (verb, verbal derivative of bocche botch²), though sense development unclear

botch•ed•ly  (boch′id lē), adv.  botch′er, n. 
botch′er•y, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. ruin, mismanage; muff, butcher, flub.

botch²  (boch), n. 

1. a swelling on the skin;
   a boil.
2. an eruptive disease.

• Old French boche, dialect, dialectal variant of boce boss²
• Middle English bocche 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

botch / bɒtʃ/ verb (transitive) often followed by up:

1. to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude
2. to repair badly or clumsily

noun

1. Also called: botch-up a badly done piece of work or repair (esp in the phrase make a botch of (something))

Etymology: 14th Century: of unknown origin

ˈbotcher noun