This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
bumble
1[ buhm-buhl ]
/ ˈbʌm bəl /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
OTHER WORDS FROM bumble
bumbler, nounWords nearby bumble
bum, bum around, bum bag, bumbailiff, bumbershoot, bumble, bumblebee, bumblebeefish, bumbleberry, bumbledom, bumblefoot
Other definitions for bumble (2 of 2)
bumble2
[ buhm-buhl ]
/ 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. 2023
How to use bumble in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bumble (1 of 2)
bumble1
/ (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 of bumble
bumbler, nounbumbling, noun, adjectiveWord Origin for bumble
C16: perhaps a blend of bungle + stumble
British Dictionary definitions for bumble (2 of 2)
bumble2
/ (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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012