verb

bungle

BUHNGGL

verb

To perform a task badly through carelessness or lack of skill; to botch.

"The contractors bungled the renovation and left the roof leaking."

noun

A poorly handled situation caused by incompetence; a blunder.

"The whole event was a bungle from start to finish."

How to Use Bungle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo mess something up through incompetence, or the resulting mess itself.

Easily confused with

bumble → fumble →

bungled past tense, bungles plural, bungles singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “bungle” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The contractors _____ the renovation and left the roof leaking.

Origin uncertain — possibly imitative in origin, like the related bumble and fumble, or from an Old Norse root meaning "to strike."

jungle