botch

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English bocchen (“to mend”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English bōtettan (“to improve; cure; remedy; repair”), or from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair; patch”), related to beat.

Verb

botch (third-person singular simple present botches, present participle botching, simple past and past participle botched)

  1. (transitive) To perform (a task) in an unacceptable or incompetent manner; to make a mess of something
    A botched haircut seems to take forever to grow out.
    Synonyms: ruin, bungle, spoil, destroy
  2. To do something without skill, without care, or clumsily.
  3. To repair or mend clumsily.

Synonyms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Noun

botch (plural botches)

  1. An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.
    • Shakespeare
      to leave no rubs nor botches in the work
  2. A patch put on, or a part of a garment patched or mended in a clumsy manner.
  3. A mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing.
  4. A messy, disorderly or confusing combination; conglomeration; hodgepodge.
  5. (archaic) One who makes a mess of something; a bungler.
    • 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard
      '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 done it; I was always a botch, Puddock, an' a fool; and—and—gentlemen—good-bye.'
Translations

See also

Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman boche, from Late Latin bocia (“boss”).

Noun

botch (plural botches)

  1. (obsolete) A tumour or other malignant swelling.
    • Milton
      Botches and blains must all his flesh emboss.
  2. A case or outbreak of boils or sores.
    • 1395, John Wycliffe, Bible, Job II:
      Therfor Sathan ȝede out fro the face of the Lord, and smoot Joob with a ful wickid botche fro the sole of the foot til to his top [...].
    • 1611, Bible (Authorized Version), Deuteronomy XXVIII:
      The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
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