Meaning

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Chaotic, disorganised or mismanaged..

Example Sentences

[O]ne must admit there were those among us who were somewhat on the shambolic side.

He said his club had coined a new word 'Shambolic,' which meant spending more time watching the weather than playing.

The precautionary principle is a culturally framed concept that takes its cue from changing social conceptions about the appropriate roles of science, economics, ethics, politics and the law in pro-active environmental protection and management. As this book will reveal, it is a rather shambolic concept, muddled in policy advice and subject to the whims of international diplomacy and the unpredictable public mood over the true cost of sustainable living.

The pub was empty of all but the most dedicated drinkers, shambolic figures huddled over bottles.

The shabby subterfuge surrounding Suez [the Suez Crisis], as much as its shambolic aftermath, have made it a symbol of the collapse of British global power in the post-war era.

During normal times, distribution of goods or services to over 7,000 islands [in the Philippines] is difficult, and the reality is that on a day-to-day basis, it's shambolic. There are too many examples of corruption and inefficiency.

New train introduction had become shambolic with extended delays - mainly due to repeated software issues, seriously late deliveries, and gauging problems.

Donald Trump’s tax returns illustrate the profound inequities of the tax code and the shambolic state of federal enforcement.

Word Forms

• more shambolic
• most shambolic

Related Words

When Should You Use Shambolic?

Use shambolic when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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