bumble
1[ buhm-buh l ]
/ ˈbʌm bəl /
verb (used without object), bum·bled, bum·bling.
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), bum·bled, bum·bling.
to do (something) clumsily; botch.
noun
an awkward blunder.
Nearby words
bum steer, bum's rush, bum-rush, bumbailiff, bumbershoot, bumble, bumble-foot, bumble-puppy, bumblebee, bumblebeefish, bumbleberry
Related forms
bum·bler, nounDefinition for bumble (2 of 2)
bumble
2[ buhm-buh l ]
/ ˈbʌm bəl /
verb (used without object), bum·bled, bum·bling.
to make a buzzing, humming sound, as a bee.
Origin of bumble
21350–1400; Middle English bomblen, frequentative of bomben to boom, buzz; imitative
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for bumble
British Dictionary definitions for bumble (1 of 2)
bumble
1/ (ˈbʌmbəl) /
verb
to speak or do in a clumsy, muddled, or inefficient wayhe bumbled his way through his speech
(intr) to proceed unsteadily; stumble
noun
a blunder or botch
Derived Forms
bumbler, nounbumbling, noun, adjectiveWord Origin for bumble
C16: perhaps a blend of bungle + stumble
British Dictionary definitions for bumble (2 of 2)
bumble
2/ (ˈbʌmbəl) /
verb
(intr) to make a humming sound
Word Origin for bumble
C14 bomblen to buzz, boom, of imitative origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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