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
- bumbler noun
- bumbling noun
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
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.
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.
What consequential life experiences have I missed, taunting my eyeballs, indulging this social media imp turned experimental pugilist as he bumbles around the ring with has-beens and never-weres?
His performance in office has been anything but impressive, with stories of his bumbling the early days of the Charlie Kirk investigation and his mishandling of the Epstein files.
From Salon
I bumbled and came out with something along the lines of “Who knows?”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
Definitions 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.
