bungling
Making a mess
Bungling describes clumsy, incompetent action—work done badly through lack of skill or care.
A bungling burglar leaves evidence everywhere.
A bungling attempt fails through ineptitude.
The word carries a sense of fumbling awkwardness rather than malice: The operation was hampered by bungling officials.
Related to the verb bungle and noun bungler.
Poorly executed, spoiled
- botchSpoil through incompetence
- fiascoHumiliating public failure
- debacleSudden, complete failure
- disasterSudden ruinous event
failure · mess · shambles · train wreck · mismanagement · hash · muddle · foul-up
Foolish, costly mistake
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- gaffeClumsy social error
- misstepError in action or judgment
- slip-upSmall unintended error
error · oversight · miscalculation · misjudgment · faux pas · miscue · flub · goof
Lacking physical coordination
- fumblingClumsy, uncoordinated handling
- ham-handedLacking dexterity or subtlety
- maladroitLacking physical deftness
- bumblingClumsily incompetent
awkward · ungainly · uncoordinated · gawky · lumbering · oafish · clodhopping · butterfingers
Lacking skill or competence
- incompetentLacking necessary skill
- incapableLacking requisite ability
- ineffectiveLacking power to achieve
- unskilledLacking acquired competence
unqualified · inefficient · unprofessional · untrained · unfit · inadequate · hapless · hopeless
Careless and untidy
- slipshodCareless and hasty
- haphazardLacking organization or plan
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- slapdashHasty and careless
messy · negligent · slovenly · disorganized · hasty · reckless · thoughtless · unworkmanlike
botched
Poorly executed, spoiled
disaster · failure · mess · shambles · train wreck · mismanagement · hash · muddle · foul-up · screw-up
blunder
Foolish, costly mistake
slip-up · error · oversight · miscalculation · misjudgment · faux pas · miscue · flub · goof · blooper
clumsy
Lacking physical coordination
- fumblingClumsy, uncoordinated handling
- ham-handedLacking dexterity or subtlety
- maladroitLacking physical deftness
bumbling · awkward · ungainly · uncoordinated · gawky · lumbering · oafish · clodhopping · butterfingers · heavy-handed
inept
Lacking skill or competence
- incompetentLacking necessary skill
- incapableLacking requisite ability
- ineffectiveLacking power to achieve
unskilled · unqualified · inefficient · unprofessional · untrained · unfit · inadequate · hapless · hopeless · helpless
sloppy
Careless and untidy
- slipshodCareless and hasty
- haphazardLacking organization or plan
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
slapdash · messy · negligent · slovenly · disorganized · hasty · reckless · thoughtless · unworkmanlike · crude
- blundersblunder, blunders, blundered, mistakes, botch
- clumsyclumsy, awkward, bumbling, fumbling, graceless
- Incompetencefailure, botch, inability, blunder, ineptitude
- lack of skillincompetence, ineptitude, clumsiness, awkwardness, inexperience
- mistakesmistake, mistakes, slip, error, errors
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles