bungling

1 of 2

adjective

bun·​gling ˈbəŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bungling (audio)
Synonyms of bunglingnext
: clumsily awkward or inept
a bungling attempt at humor
… her complaints about bungling doctors and mean-spirited nurses …—Michiko Kakutani
bunglingly adverb
a bunglingly inept investigation

bungling

2 of 2

present participle of bungle

Synonyms of bungling

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Adjective

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Examples of bungling in a Sentence

Adjective I refuse to let that bungling incompetent insult me again
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The broadest of comedies, the film’s often puerile humor is driven by an endless stream of male bungling, blundering and whining, only to be kicked up a notch by pratfalls of nearly every variety, from getting bucked off a galloping horse to tripping into a pile of trash. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 27 May 2026 Bernthal, who plays Sonny, has his own wayward machismo and hapless sensitivity, the very qualities that made Al Pacino unforgettable in the role of the bungling bandit with a Catholic conscience. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 His friendship with Epstein was never a secret — though his bungling aides’ accidental reopening of it is one of history’s greatest political errors. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bungling was in 1589

Browse Nearby Words

bunglesome
bungling
bungo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bungling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bungling. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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