shambolic

adjective

sham·​bol·​ic sham-ˈbä-lik How to pronounce shambolic (audio)
chiefly British
: obviously disorganized or confused

Examples of shambolic in a Sentence

a shambolic system of public transportation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There were reports last month that INEOS was looking to sell Nice with French football in crisis after a shambolic saga to sell the domestic TV rights to Ligue 1. Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 27 July 2024 Expats is a bit of a mess, a shambolic drag that cosplays Wong Kar-Wai melancholia while performing perfunctory class criticism, but the Prime Video series does have two things going for it. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2024 In an election all polls show as a toss-up, a shambolic field operation could well mean the difference between victory and defeat. Jake Lahut, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024 Republicans have a clear message, but a shambolic operation Early in September, Miles and I drove up to North Philadelphia. Christian Paz, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 See all Example Sentences for shambolic 

Word History

Etymology

probably from shambles

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shambolic was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near shambolic

Cite this Entry

“Shambolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shambolic. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on shambolic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!