bungle

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: bun=gle

CIDE DICTIONARY

bungle, v. i. [Prob. a diminutive from, akin to bang; cf. Prov. G. bungen to beat, bang, OSw. bunga. See Bang.].

 To act or work in a clumsy, awkward manner.  [1913 Webster]

bungle, v. t. 

 To make or mend clumsily; to manage awkwardly; to botch; -- sometimes with up.  [1913 Webster]
"I always had an idea that it would be bungled."  [1913 Webster]

bungle, n. 

 A clumsy or awkward performance; a botch; a gross blunder.  [1913 Webster]
"Those errors and bungles which are committed."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bungle, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. blunder over, mismanage, or fail at (a task).
2 intr. work badly or clumsily.
--n. a bungled attempt; bungled work.

Derivative

bungler n.

Etymology

imit.: cf. BUMBLE

THESAURUS

bungle

bad job, bat out, be all thumbs, bevue, blooper, blow, blunder, blunder away, blunder into, blunder on, blunder upon, bobble, boggle, bollix, bonehead play, boner, boo-boo, botch, bugger, bull, bumble, butcher, clumsy performance, commit a gaffe, dash off, do anyhow, do by halves, do carelessly, do offhand, err, error, etourderie, fake up, faux pas, fiasco, flounder, flub, fluff, flunk, foozle, fuck up, fudge up, fumble, gaffe, gaucherie, goof, goof up, gum up, hash, indiscretion, jury-rig, knock off, knock out, knock together, lapse, lash up, louse up, lumber, make a blunder, make a misstep, mar, mess, mess up, miscue, mismanage, miss, miss the mark, misspeak, mistake, muck up, muddle, muff, murder, off day, patch, patch together, patch up, play havoc with, pound out, rough out, roughcast, roughhew, sad work, screw up, slap up, slip, slip up, snafu, solecism, spoil, stumble, stupidity, throw off, throw together, toss off, toss out, toss together, trifle with, trip, washout, whomp up

ROGET THESAURUS

bungle

Unskillfulness

VB be unskillful, not see an inch beyond one's nose, blunder, bungle, boggle, fumble, botch, bitch, flounder, stumble, trip, hobble, put one's foot in it, make a mess of, make hash of, make sad work of, overshoot the mark, play tricks with, play Puck, mismanage, misconduct, misdirect, misapply, missend, stultify oneself, make a fool of oneself, commit oneself, act foolishly, play the fool, put oneself out of court, lose control, lose control of oneself, lose one's head, lose one's cunning, begin at the wrong end, do things by halves, make two bites of a cherry, play at cross purposes, strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, put the cart before the horse, lock the stable door when the horse is stolen, not know what one is about, not know one's own interest, not know on which side one's bread is buttered, stand in one's own light, quarrel with one's bread and butter, throw a stone in one's own garden, kill the goose which lays the golden eggs, pay dear for one's whistle, cut one's own throat, bum one's fingers, knock one's head against a stone wall, beat one's head against a stone wall, fall into a trap, catch a Tartar, bring the house about one's ears, have too many eggs in one basket (imprudent), have too many irons in the fire, mistake, take the shadow for the substance, bark up the wrong tree, be in the wrong box, aim at a pigeon and kill a crow, take the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong sow by the ear, get the dirty end of the stick, put the saddle on the wrong horse, put a square peg into a round hole, put new wine into old bottles, cut blocks with a razor, hold a farthing candle to the sun, fight with a shadow, grasp at a shadow, catch at straws, lean on a broken reed, reckon without one's host, pursue a wild goose chase, go on a fool's goose chase, sleeveless errand, go further and fare worse, lose one's way, miss one's way, fail.