Word
botched
US/ˈbɑtʃt/
UK/bˈɒtʃt/
Definition
adj. done badly or ruined because of a lack of care or skill. You use this to describe a task or job that was finished but is full of mistakes.
adj. carried out carelessly or poorly, resulting in a failed or flawed outcome. Often used to describe professional tasks, surgeries, or criminal attempts that went wrong.
Examples
“The botched repair job made the leak even worse.”
“The police investigation was botched from the start because the first officers on the scene failed to secure the evidence.”
“A botched attempt at a corporate merger can leave both companies in a significantly weaker financial position than they were before the negotiations began.”
Examples
simple
“The botched repair job made the leak even worse.”
contextual
“The police investigation was botched from the start because the first officers on the scene failed to secure the evidence.”
complex
“A botched attempt at a corporate merger can leave both companies in a significantly weaker financial position than they were before the negotiations began.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun; often follows a linking verb like 'look' or 'seem'.
Pitfall
He botched up the job
He botched the job
While 'mess up' or 'screw up' use 'up', 'botch' is a transitive verb that usually takes the object directly without a particle.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/botched