bumble

¹ American  

[buhm-buhl] / ˈbʌm bəl /

verb (used without object)

bumbled, bumbling

1. to bungle or blunder awkwardly; muddle.

   He somehow bumbled through two years of college.

2. to stumble or stagger.

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

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verb (used with object)

bumbled, bumbling

1. to do (something) clumsily; botch.

noun

1. an awkward blunder.

bumble ² American  

[buhm-buhl] / ˈbʌm bəl /

verb (used without object)

bumbled, bumbling

1. to make a buzzing, humming sound, as a bee.

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bumble ¹ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a blunder or botch

bumble ² British  

/ ˈbʌmbəl /

verb

1. (intr) to make a humming sound

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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

You’re going to get a refresh of the QB’s bumbling history against the Patriots—including the miserable night with the Jets when he complained he was “seeing ghosts”—but this dude isn’t that dude.

From The Wall Street Journal

Plus, they also received the annual charity of padding their record with two games against the bumbling New York Jets.

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s spent the months since demanding respect from the press while bumbling his way through scandal after scandal.

From Salon

“I’ve got it!” howls Pebble, who comes bumbling out of the exact wrong bush behind the marmot.

From Literature

In “Scavengers,” the mother-and-daughter odd couple are too bumbling to make any headway.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bobble
• bungle
• stumble