make a poor fist of

verb

To perform a task badly, incompetently, or unsuccessfully.

Opposite
make a fist ofmake a good fist of
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Meanings

verbmake a poor fist of (third-person singular simple present makes a poor fist of, present participle making a poor fist of, simple past and past participle made a poor fist of)

present singular third person makes a poor fist of · participle present making a poor fist of · participle past made a poor fist of · past made a poor fist of · alternative be a poor fist at

  1. idiomaticinformalTo perform a task badly, incompetently, or unsuccessfully.

    I had scant wish for tea, but for want of something to do, I poured myself a cup. Whatever Ned's merits as a captain, he was a poor fist at the tea making.

    Thomas Flanagan, novel, The Tenants of Time Chapter 6

    Antonyms: make a fist of, make a good fist of

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo perform a task badly, incompetently, or unsuccessfully.

Opposite
make a fist ofmake a good fist of
Cite this entry
APA

make a poor fist of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20poor%20fist%20of

MLA

“make a poor fist of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20poor%20fist%20of. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make a poor fist of,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20poor%20fist%20of.

Source: make a poor fist of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.