botch

1 of 3

verb

botched; botching; botches
Synonyms of botchnext

transitive verb

1
: to foul up hopelessly
often used with up
2
: to put together in a makeshift way
botcher noun

botch

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: something that is botched : mess
2
botchy adjective

botch

3 of 3

noun (2)

: an inflammatory sore

Examples of botch in a Sentence

Verb The store botched the order—I received only half the books I paid for. They clearly botched the investigation. Noun (1) this police procedural is basically a botch of plot elements stolen from other (and better) novels
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
And botched by the officials, said Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026 Josh Adams botched a try chance throwing a forward pass to Botham but Botham scored off a ruck and Dan Edwards converted for 19-17. ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
Of course this was a calculated power play, not a bureaucratic botch. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026 During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for botch

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bocchen

Noun (2)

Middle English boche, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *bottia boss

First Known Use

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of botch was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Botch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botch. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

botch

1 of 2 verb
: to make or do something in a clumsy or unskillful way : spoil, bungle

botch

2 of 2 noun
: a botched job : mess
botchy
adjective

Medical Definition

botch

noun
: an inflammatory sore

More from Merriam-Webster on botch

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