bumble
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to bungle or blunder awkwardly; muddle.
He somehow bumbled through two years of college.
-
to stumble or stagger.
-
to speak in a low, stuttering, halting manner; mumble.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to speak or do in a clumsy, muddled, or inefficient way
he bumbled his way through his speech
-
(intr) to proceed unsteadily; stumble
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bumble1
1525–35; perhaps blend of bungle and stumble
Origin of bumble2
1350–1400; Middle English bomblen, frequentative of bomben to boom, buzz; imitative
Explanation
To bumble is to move or speak in an awkward, fumbling way. You might bumble your way through your first dance performance, tripping over your own two feet. When you bumble, you walk unsteadily or speak with a stutter. You can also bumble something, or completely mess it up. An inexperienced teacher might bumble her attempts at managing a huge class of middle school students, and you might worry that you'll bumble your first interview as a radio reporter. Bumble was first used in the 1500's, and it's probably an imitative word, or one that sounds like what it means.
Vocabulary lists containing bumble
Awkward Moments
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"The Wife of Bath's Tale," Vocabulary from the narrative poem
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Look Both Ways
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Hansen would then make a dramatic entrance and interrogate the men, who would often stammer and bumble through the encounter before leaving.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
In the play, two minor characters from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” bumble about, confused about their role in the prince’s drama, and wander into existential discussions about the search for meaning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025
"This could have cascading effects on bumble bee populations."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024
"We found that larger bumble bee queens, typically more likely to survive winter and establish successful colonies, were paradoxically more vulnerable to pesticide exposure," Dr. Rondeau explains.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024
Listen to this one: 'Bee it ever so bumble there’s no place like comb.’”
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
The Steelers had bumbled into the decisive Week 18 contest by managing the impossible and losing to Shedeur Sanders and Cleveland the week before, extending Baltimore’s life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
I bumbled my way through an explanation of not having had my coffee yet and leaving them in the car by mistake.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025
The Chinese balloon that bumbled its way across the United States has launched a thousand questions about its real intent.
From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2023
The Lakers then bumbled the firing of Vogel, who led them to the 2020 title, with word leaking soon after they had defeated the Denver Nuggets in the final game of 2021-22.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2022
He bumbled in the gravel, dodged a rolling wheel, then ran to me and leaped into my arms.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
But I always thought of it as kind of a portrait of parenthood, bumbling through parenting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Dumb luck and a last-minute assist from his less charismatic, bumbling pseudo-sibling finally get him into the spotlight.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
In its long, bumbling quest to return to the summit of the sport it invented, England has invested billions to build a squad capable of lifting the World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
"The island would not be the same without him. He's still bumbling, still a wee bit getting the wrong end of the stick quite a lot."
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
They weren’t bumbling like the ones on the stage.
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
