Botched
/bɑːtʃt/
verbIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meanings
Questions
Definitions
2 meanings1
To spoil something by clumsiness or ineptitude.
/bɑːtʃt/
verbnegativeIntermediate
General
To ruin something through clumsiness or incompetence.
The cake was completely botched.
💡 Simply: To mess something up badly.
More Examples
2
They botched the landing of the spacecraft.
How It's Used
General
"He botched the repair job, making the situation worse."
Surgery
"The surgeon botched the operation, resulting in serious complications."
2
Done clumsily and carelessly; badly done.
/bɑːtʃt/
adjectivenegativeIntermediate
General
Unsuccessful, clumsily done.
The job was botched from the start.
💡 Simply: Badly done; a failure.
More Examples
2
A botched escape attempt left them captured.
How It's Used
General
"The presentation was a botched attempt to impress the investors."
Tip:Think of a botched repair—it's messy and ineffective.
From Middle English *bocchen, meaning "to patch clumsily." Related to the word "patch."
The word's usage has remained relatively consistent, focusing on the idea of clumsiness and failure.
Memory tip
Imagine a botched painting—a mess.
Practice
Base: botch
botchedbotcht
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written