make a poor fist of en · VERB
Meanings
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(idiomatic, informal) To perform a task badly, incompetently, or unsuccessfully.
I had scant wish for tea, but for want of something to do, I poured myself a cup. Whatever Ned's merits as a captain, he was a poor fist at the tea making.
Thomas Flanagan, novel, The Tenants of Time Chapter 6
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| makes a poor fist of | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| be a poor fist at | alternative | lexicographic | |
| making a poor fist of | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| made a poor fist of | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| made a poor fist of | Tense=Past | lexicographic |