From Middle English bocchen (“to mend”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English bōtettan (“to improve; cure; remedy; repair”), related to boot, or from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair; patch”), related to beat. Doublet of bodge.
Meanings
(transitive) An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.
That I require a cleareneſſe; and with him; / To leaue no Rubs nor Botches in the Worke: c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 140, column 2:
(transitive) A patch put on, or a part of a garment patched or mended in a clumsy manner.
(transitive) A mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing.
(transitive) A messy, disorderly or confusing combination; a conglomeration; hodgepodge.
(archaic, transitive) One who makes a mess of something.
If it was the last word I ever spoke, Puddock, you're a good natured—he 's a gentleman, sir—and it was all my own fault; he warned me, he did, again' swallyin' a dhrop of it—remember what I'm saying, Doctor—'twas I that done it; I was always a botch, Puddock, an' a fool; and—and—gentlemen—good-by. 1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “Æsculapius to the Rescue”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume I, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 149:
hu kontármunka (action or piece of work) · scn aciu (action or piece of work) · cy traed moch (action or piece of work) · de Murks (action or piece of work) · hu fusermunka (action or piece of work) · it guazzabuglio (action or piece of work) · eo fuŝaĵo (action or piece of work) · it pasticcio (action or piece of work) · pt gambiarra (action or piece of work) · it pastrocchio (action or piece of work) · scn mpracchiu (action or piece of work) · pl amatorszczyzna (action or piece of work) · pl fuszerka (action or piece of work) · fr bidouillage (action or piece of work) · es mamarracho (action or piece of work) · de Pfusch (action or piece of work) · es chapucería (action or piece of work) · ga prácás (action or piece of work) · es chapuz (action or piece of work) · es chambonada (action or piece of work) · gl chafallada (action or piece of work) · pl kwiatek (a mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing) · es frangollo (action or piece of work) · es churro (action or piece of work) · ru халту́ра (action or piece of work) · ca bunyol (action or piece of work) · pl chałtura (action or piece of work) · sk nepodarok (action or piece of work) · bg нескопосана работа (action or piece of work) · es chapuza (action or piece of work) · pl partanina (action or piece of work) · pl wielbłąd (a mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing) · es pifia (a mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing) · es bodrio (action or piece of work) · ga praiseach (action or piece of work) · eo fuŝaĵo (a mistake that is very stupid or embarrassing) · es chanfla (action or piece of work)
From Middle English bocchen (“to mend”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English bōtettan (“to improve; cure; remedy; repair”), related to boot, or from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair; patch”), related to beat. Doublet of bodge.
Meanings
(transitive) To perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner; to make a mess of something.
And other diuels that ſuggest by treaſons, / Do botch and bungle vp damnation, / VVith patches, colours, and vvith formes being fetcht / From gliſt'ring ſemblances of piety: […] 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 75, column 1:
A botched haircut seems to take forever to grow out.
(transitive) To do (something) without care or skill, or clumsily.
(transitive) To mend or repair (something) clumsily.
eo fuŝi (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · ga praiseach a dhéanamh de (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de stümpern (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · de vergeigen (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · cy poitsio (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de vermasseln (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · hu elgányol (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · sh upropástiti (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · pl sfuszerować (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · pl sknocić (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · pl spartolić (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · eo fuŝi (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · hu kontárkodik (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · bg извършвам нескопосано (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de pfuschen (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · it rabberciare (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · fr bâcler (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · sh сфушерити (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · ro fușeri (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · fi tunaroida (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · sh sfušeriti (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · de verbocken (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · it raffazzonare (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · hu gányol (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · ru запоро́ть (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · ru запа́рывать (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de schludern (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · fr saccager (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · ca potinejar (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · pl partaczyć (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · it raffazzonare (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · pl fuszerować (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · pl partolić (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · it pasticciare (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de verderben (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · hu elszúr (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · nrf bôtchi (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · ru накосячить (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · pt atrapalhar-se (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · pt arruinar (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de schlampen (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · cy cawlio (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · nrf bôtchi (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · scn mpracchiari (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · fi tunaroida (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · sh упропа́стити (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de murksen (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · hu elfuserál (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de verpfuschen (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · scn rattiḍḍijari (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · scn rattiḍḍijari (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · hu elront (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · it rovinare (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · scn mpracchiari (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · pl knocić (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · ru испо́ртить (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de verpatzen (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · fr bâcler (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · sk zbabrať (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · nl verprutsen (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · hu fuserál (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · fr rater (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · it abborracciare (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · it malfare (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · de vermurksen (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · bg скърпвам (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · pl spartaczyć (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · nb slurve (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily) · fr rater (to perform (a task) in an incompetent or unacceptable manner) · cs fušovat (to do (something) without care or skill, clumsily)
From Middle English botche, from Anglo-Norman boche, from Late Latin bocia (“boss”).
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) A tumour or other malignant swelling.
Botches and blaines muſt all his fleſh imboſs, 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, line 1071:
(transitive) A case or outbreak of boils or sores.
The Lord wil smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scabbe, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not bee healed. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 28:27: