# make a pig's ear of

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/make-a-pigs-ear-of
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do badly; to make a mess of.

## Examples

- I tried to fix the sink but made a pig's ear of it.
- The new employee made a pig's ear of the report, so we had to rewrite the entire document.
- Despite his extensive preparation, he made a pig's ear of the presentation, leaving the board members confused and disappointed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.