bungle

bungle
1. noun /ˈbʌŋɡl/
A botched or incompetently handled situation.

1888 The Soudan bungle was born partly of sentimental loyalty and partly of the aforementioned jealousy existing between the colonies, and now at a time when the colonies should club closer together our Government is doing all they can to widen the breach by trying to pass a bill enabling New South Wales to monopolise the name “Australia”. — Henry Lawson, "".

2. verb /ˈbʌŋɡl/
To botch up, bumble or incompetently perform a task.

1853 His hand shakes, he is nervous, and it falls off. “Would any one believe this?” says he, catching it as it drops and looking round. “I am so out of sorts that I bungle at an easy job like this!” — Charles Dickens, Bleak House, .


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  • Bungle — may refer to: * Bungle ( Rainbow ), a fictional children s television character * The Glass Cat, also called Bungle, a fictional character from the Land of Oz books * Mr. Bungle, an experimental rock/Avant garde metal band * Bungle Bungle Range… …   Wikipedia

  • Bungle — Bun gle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Bungled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bungling}.] [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] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bungle — Bun gle, 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. Byron. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bungle — Bun gle, n. A clumsy or awkward performance; a botch; a gross blunder. [1913 Webster] Those errors and bungles which are committed. Cudworth. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bungle — index fail (lose), miscue, misdoing, mismanage, mistake, muddle, spoil (impair) …   Law dictionary

  • bungle — 1520s, origin obscure, perhaps a mix of boggle and bumble, or more likely from a Scandinavian word akin to Swed. bangla to work ineffectually, from O.Swed. bunga to strike (Cf. Ger. Bengel cudgel, also rude fellow ). Related: Bungled; bungler;… …   Etymology dictionary

  • bungle — vb *botch, fumble, muff, cobble Analogous words: *confuse, muddle, addle, befuddle: confuse, confound, *mistake: *disorder, disarrange, disorganize, derange: *entangle, enmesh …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • bungle — [v] blunder, mess up ball up*, boggle, botch, butcher*, drop the ball*, err, flub, foul up*, fudge*, fumble, goof up*, gum up*, louse up*, make a mess of, mar, mess up, miscalculate, mishandle, mismanage, muff*, ruin, screw up*, spoil; concept… …   New thesaurus

  • bungle — ► VERB 1) perform (a task) clumsily or incompetently. 2) (bungling) prone to making mistakes. ► NOUN ▪ a mistake or failure. DERIVATIVES bungler noun. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • bungle — [buŋ′gəl] vt. bungled, bungling [< ? Swed bangla, to work ineffectually] to spoil by clumsy work or action; botch vi. to do or make things badly or clumsily n. 1. a bungling, or clumsy, act 2. a bungled piece of work bungler n. bunglingly adv …   English World dictionary

  • bungle — I UK [ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms bungle : present tense I/you/we/they bungle he/she/it bungles present participle bungling past tense bungled past participle bungled to spoil something by doing it very badly Police… …   English dictionary

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