botch

C2+ Topic:Work & Careers

US /bɑtʃ/ UK /bɒtʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like batch /æ/ vs /ɑ/ Sounds like bosh /tʃ/ vs /ʃ/

verb noun

Meanings

1

verb
to spoil through clumsiness; a bungled piece of work

He managed to botch the simple repair.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to spoil through... bungle mishandle mismanage spoil fumble muff mangle

Opposites

perfect master accomplish

Word family

Derived forms botcherbotchedbotchy

Etymology

From Middle English bocchen ('to repair, patch'), of uncertain origin; the sense shifted from 'patch clumsily' to 'spoil through clumsiness'.

bocchen Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Work & Careers

# botch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** bɑtʃ
**IPA (UK):** bɒtʃ

## Meanings
1. to spoil through clumsiness; a bungled piece of work

## Examples
- He managed to botch the simple repair.

## Synonyms
- bungle
- mishandle
- mismanage
- spoil
- fumble
- muff
- mangle

## Antonyms
- perfect
- master
- accomplish

## Derived Forms
- botcher
- botched
- botchy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bocchen

## Etymology
From Middle English bocchen ('to repair, patch'), of uncertain origin; the sense shifted from 'patch clumsily' to 'spoil through clumsiness'.

## AI Etymology
Botch is from Middle English bocchen ('to repair, patch'), of uncertain origin; the sense shifted from 'patch clumsily' to 'spoil through clumsiness'. Important recorded forms include bocchen (Middle English). The current sense covers to spoil through clumsiness; a bungled piece of work. The wider family includes derived forms such as botcher, botched, and botchy.

## Topics
- Work & Careers

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botch

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