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Glite Dictionary
🛠️ An unskilled worker 🌳 A woodworker
bodger

bodger

9.7
A person who does work in a careless or clumsy way
  • noun
  • /ˈbɒdʒər/
  • Offensive
: chapucero
  • The furniture fell apart because it was made by a bodger with little experience.

Examples

  • You can tell a bodger did this job by the uneven paint and loose screws.

  • No one wanted to hire the bodger again after seeing the poor results.

  • The bodger made a mess of the repairs.

  • Don't be such a bodger with that project!

  • You can tell a bodger did this job by the uneven paint and loose screws.

  • The furniture fell apart because it was made by a bodger with little experience.

  • No one wanted to hire the bodger again after seeing the poor results.

Synonyms

bozo
vsbodger
  • Offensive
51 8.8

A person who behaves in a silly or careless way

is specifically someone who does work carelessly and without skill
butcher
vsbodger
  • Offensive
8 7.5

A person who does a job very badly

focuses on careless, clumsy doing rather than general job failure
bumbler
vsbodger
  • Offensive
2 8.3

A person who often makes mistakes and seems clumsy

is more about poor, clumsy work than general awkward behaviour
stumblebum
vsbodger
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A person who is clumsy and acts in a silly, awkward way

is about careless or unskilled workmanship rather than foolishness alone
duffer
vsbodger
  • Offensive
2 7.9

A person who is not good at a sport or other activity

is general careless work across types rather than activity specific
schlemiel
vsbodger
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A person who is often clumsy and makes mistakes

covers careless or unskilled work in any single act, not only habit
bungler
vsbodger
2 7.8

A person who often makes mistakes because they lack skill

is about clumsy or unskilled work rather than mere frequency of errors
stumbler
vsbodger
1 7.5

A person who often makes mistakes because they lack skill

emphasizes clumsy or shoddy execution of tasks rather than simple slips
botcher
vsbodger
  • Offensive
1 9.2

A person who does a job badly because they are not skilled

is careless and clumsy in general work rather than only craftsmanship
fumbler
vsbodger
1 6.5

A person who often makes mistakes because they lack skill

is more about doing work carelessly and clumsily rather than general error
blunderer
vsbodger
1 7.8

A person who often makes serious mistakes because they are careless

describes unskilled or sloppy work broadly rather than only big errors
muddler
vsbodger
  • Offensive
1 8.2

A person who causes confusion by making things more complicated

is focused on careless and clumsy work rather than confusion or muddle

Antonyms

expert
∞ 3.2

A person who knows a lot about a subject and can help others

professional
435 3.7

A person who has special training and works in a skilled job

artisan
25 4.1

A skilled worker who makes things by hand

How Skilled

craftsman
34 2.8
handyman
47 2.7
amateur
175 3.5
novice
51 3.4
bodger
  • Offensive
9.7

Surface Forms

bodger singular
bodgers plural

Morphology

bodger = bodge (transparent) = bodge + er

Standard agentive formation from the verb 'bodge' meaning 'one who bodges'; learners can infer 'a person who does work badly' from the parts.

Etymology

The word bodger comes from the older word bodge, which meant 'to make or fix roughly', so you can imagine someone doing a quick, messy repair. That's why a bodger now means a person who does careless or unskilled work.