botched

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbächt How to pronounce botched (audio)
Synonyms of botchednext
: unsuccessful because of being poorly done : spoiled by mistakes
a botched attempt
a botched recipe
a botched medical procedure

botched

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of botch entry 1

Synonyms of botched

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of botched in a Sentence

Adjective a botched attempt to mend relations with our disaffected European allies
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Confusion appears to be a recurring theme surrounding Pike’s botched execution, and that is evident in the events that unfolded thereafter. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026 But, on the ensuing possession, the Browns had a botched snap on a punt to conclude a drive that lost 29 yards. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Trump’s approval of Hasan’s execution last Friday came days after a botched lethal-injection execution in Tennessee. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 What readers are saying The comments reflect a strong opposition to the death penalty, particularly in the case of Christa Pike, who survived a botched execution attempt. — Maegan Vazquez, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for botched

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of botched was in 1752

Rhymes for botched

See All Rhymes for botched

Browse Nearby Words

botch
botched
botcher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Botched.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botched. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All