botch
An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.
Noun
- An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.
- That I require a cleareneſſe; and with him; / To leaue no Rubs nor Botches in the Worke: - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
- A patch put on, or a part of a garment patched or mended in a clumsy manner.
- A mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing.
- A messy, disorderly or confusing combination; a conglomeration; hodgepodge.
- One who makes a mess of something.
- If it was the last word I ever spoke, Puddock, you're a good natured—he 's a gentleman, sir—and it was all my own fault; he warned me, he did, again' swallyin' a dhrop of it—remember what I'm saying, Doctor—'twas I that...
Synonyms: bungler
Origin
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.
Forms
Related
Derived
Noun obsolete, transitive
- A tumour or other malignant swelling.
- Botches and blaines muſt all his fleſh imboſs, - 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias...
- A case or outbreak of boils or sores.
- The Lord wil smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scabbe, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not bee healed. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert...
Origin
From Middle English botche, from Anglo-Norman boche, from Late Latin bocia (“boss”).
Forms
Verb
- To perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner; to make a mess of something.
- A botched haircut seems to take forever to grow out.
- And other diuels that ſuggest by treaſons, / Do botch and bungle vp damnation, / VVith patches, colours, and vvith formes being fetcht / From gliſt'ring ſemblances of piety: […] - 1599 (date written), William...
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
- To do (something) without care or skill, or clumsily.
- To mend or repair (something) clumsily.
Synonyms: bodge cludge cobble together jury-rig kludge kluge knock together knock up MacGyver make-do patch patch-up