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botch

botch

3 7.6
An embarrassing mistake that happens because of bad or careless work
  • noun
  • /bɑtʃ/
translation icon : chapuza
  • - This is a botch job.
  • botch job

When she launched that botch, the audition, I mean, just stuttered and sweated through the audition.

Examples

  • So you think this is another botch by the L.A.P.D. and the D.A.'s office?

  • Mr. Grayson admits it was a botch.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The autopsy was a total botch.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • They made a thorough botch of it.

  • She was still scared when she thought of it, still worried about what it would be like to finally be a mother, still desperately frightened that somehow she would make a botch of it, and yet in spite of all that, she knew she had to try it.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Janey makes an uncharacteristic botch of docking the canhopper, giving the outer bay a dent.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • That Petraeus cashiered himself just as he was about to testify before Congress about the total botch job surrounding the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is disturbing for about a thousand reasons.

    Blog text (1)
  • The construction team made a serious botch of the new building, leading to delays and extra costs.

  • Her attempt at baking without measuring ingredients ended in a botch that nobody wanted to eat.

  • The coach admitted that the team's strategy was a complete botch and vowed to improve for the next game.

Synonyms

mistake
vsbotch
1.0

A wrong action or decision

is narrower, highlighting clumsiness or carelessness as the reason
boner
vsbotch
  • Archaic
85 8.2

A silly or embarrassing mistake

is more about clumsy or poorly done work causing the error
mix-up
vsbotch
53 3.3

A mistake that happens when someone confuses one thing with another

is more about clumsy workmanship causing the mistake rather than confusion
gaffe
vsbotch
51 7.7

A remark or action made by accident that is embarrassing

differs by centering on clumsy or poor workmanship causing error
trip
vsbotch
  • Informal
50 3.5

A small mistake that causes embarrassment

is similar but points to clumsy workmanship as the origin
blunder
vsbotch
49 3.0

A careless mistake that causes embarrassment or problems

is more about clumsy work causing the embarrassing mistake
misstep
vsbotch
44 5.3

A small wrong action that causes embarrassment or harm to people's trust

is similar but emphasizes clumsiness and poor workmanship as cause
screw-up
vsbotch
  • Informal
33 6.1

A careless mistake that causes problems or embarrassment

adds a sense that clumsy work produced that blunder
screwup
vsbotch
  • Informal
20 6.5

A problem that happens because of a big mistake and spoils plans

narrows this to errors from clumsy or careless work
blooper
vsbotch
14 6.1

An embarrassing mistake that happens in public or during a show

is similar but often results from clumsy or poor work
slip-up
vsbotch
13 3.7

A small careless mistake you make by accident

is closer to mistakes from clumsy or careless work rather than slips
mess-up
vsbotch
  • Informal
9 5.1

A situation that is badly organized and full of mistakes

focuses more on clumsy workmanship creating the bad result
stumble
vsbotch
9 3.4

A small mistake that is often embarrassing

differs by stressing clumsy poor work causing the lapse
flub
vsbotch
  • Informal
6 7.7

An embarrassing mistake made when someone is careless or nervous

leans more on clumsy or shoddy work causing the error
boo-boo
vsbotch
  • Baby Talk
6 7.2

A small mistake or little injury described in a childlike way

is more serious and points to clumsy or careless workmanship causing it
fuckup
vsbotch
  • Offensive
5 9.9

A serious or embarrassing mistake that causes problems

is closer to clumsy or shoddy work causing the error
foul-up
vsbotch
  • Informal
5 7.7

A serious, embarrassing mistake often caused by confusion or poor planning

is more about shoddy or careless work causing the error
miscue
vsbotch
4 7.7

A small unintentional mistake when speaking, writing, or performing an action

is more about clumsy or careless execution causing the error
bungle
vsbotch
3 6.5

A careless mistake that shows a lack of skill

highlights poor workmanship as the cause of the mistake
mish
vsbotch
  • Informal
3 9.9

A small problem that causes confusion or delay

is more specific about clumsy or careless work creating the error
howler
vsbotch
  • Informal
1 7.2

An obvious embarrassing mistake that makes people laugh

is similar but stresses clumsy workmanship rather than absurdity
cockup
vsbotch
  • Slang
1 9.6

A serious mistake that happens because of confusion or poor planning

focuses more on clumsy workmanship causing the blunder
bloomer
vsbotch
  • Archaic
1 6.7

An embarrassing mistake that shows you were careless

is the same fault but with emphasis on clumsy execution
balls-up
vsbotch
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A situation made into a big mess by careless or bad actions

is the same mess but stresses clumsy or careless work as cause
clanger
vsbotch
  • UK
1 8.5

A big embarrassing mistake that other people notice

is alike but points to clumsy or careless work causing it
pratfall
vsbotch
1 8.7

An embarrassing mistake someone makes in public

is similar but focuses on clumsy workmanship as cause
muff moment
vsbotch
  • Informal
9.9

A short embarrassing mistake you make

covers mistakes that come from poor or careless work overall
trip-up
vsbotch
6.5

A small mistake that causes embarrassment or trouble

is closer to errors from clumsy or careless work rather than slips
murph
vsbotch
  • Slang
9.9

A costly mistake often made in sports or the military

is similar but emphasizes errors from clumsy or careless work
cockbrained mistake
vsbotch
  • Archaic
9.9

A foolish mistake made without thinking that causes trouble

is similar but stresses clumsy workmanship behind the error
clbuttic mistake
vsbotch
  • Slang
9.9

An embarrassing error caused by automatic text filters that change words into something silly

is similar yet centers on clumsy human work causing mistakes

Antonyms

1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

97 3.7

A thing that has no mistakes and shows the best quality

How Serious

catastrophe
176 7.0
fiasco
76 6.2
blunder
49 3.0
botch
3 7.6
error
306 1.0
slip-up
13 3.7

Surface Forms

botch singular
botches plural

Etymology

Botch comes from an old word, probably bocchen, that meant 'to mend' or 'to patch'. So a botch came to mean a clumsy or bad repair, and today a botch is an embarrassing, clumsy mistake.