bungle

Meanings

Verb

• To incompetently perform (a task); to ruin (something) through incompetent action; to botch up, to bumble.
• To act or work incompetently; to fumble.

Noun

• A botched or incompetently handled action or situation; a blunder.

Origin

• The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is either:
• onomatopoeic in origin (compare bumble, fumble); or
• from Old Norse; compare Old Swedish bunga, and dialectal Swedish bangla.
• The noun is derived from the verb.
• German Bengel
• Middle High German bungen