bumble

1
[ buhm-buhl ]
See synonyms for: bumblebumblingbumbler on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),bum·bled, bum·bling.
  1. to bungle or blunder awkwardly; muddle: He somehow bumbled through two years of college.

  2. to stumble or stagger.

  1. to speak in a low, stuttering, halting manner; mumble.

verb (used with object),bum·bled, bum·bling.
  1. to do (something) clumsily; botch.

noun
  1. an awkward blunder.

Origin of bumble

1
1525–35; perhaps blend of bungle and stumble

Other words from bumble

  • bumbler, noun

Words Nearby bumble

Other definitions for bumble (2 of 2)

bumble2
[ buhm-buhl ]

verb (used without object),bum·bled, bum·bling.
  1. to make a buzzing, humming sound, as a bee.

Origin of bumble

2
1350–1400; Middle English bomblen, frequentative of bomben to boom, buzz; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bumble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bumble (1 of 2)

bumble1

/ (ˈbʌmbəl) /


verb
  1. to speak or do in a clumsy, muddled, or inefficient way: he bumbled his way through his speech

  2. (intr) to proceed unsteadily; stumble

noun
  1. a blunder or botch

Origin of bumble

1
C16: perhaps a blend of bungle + stumble

Derived forms of bumble

  • bumbler, noun
  • bumbling, noun, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for bumble (2 of 2)

bumble2

/ (ˈbʌmbəl) /


verb
  1. (intr) to make a humming sound

Origin of bumble

2
C14 bomblen to buzz, boom, of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012