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.
On this 30-song triple album, the Wilco front man narrates a shambolic, lovely folk-rock odyssey well worth sinking into. Matthew Schnipper, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025 Aside from the multiple cycles of shambolic administration by the state party of the caucuses there, Iowa is just too Republican these days to be a good starting place for Democrats. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 26 Aug. 2025 Played with shambolic brilliance by Gary Oldman, Lamb oversees a team at Slough House, a shabby off-site dumping ground for disgraced and rejected agents. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025 England were 2-0 down on the night after a shambolic display saw Kosovare Asllani put Sweden ahead in the first two minutes before Stina Blackstenius doubled their lead just over 20 minutes later. Oli Gamp, New York Times, 22 July 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Shambolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shambolic. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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