bumbling
Americanadjective
-
liable to make awkward blunders.
a bumbling mechanic.
-
clumsily incompetent or ineffectual.
bumbling diplomacy.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bumbling
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.
But I always thought of it as kind of a portrait of parenthood, bumbling through parenting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Blunt stole the show with laugh-out-loud one-liners, often delivered dripping with contempt to Hathaway’s bumbling newbie second assistant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 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
Kidnapped by bumbling conspiracy theorists Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, Michelle stares at her jailer calmly as she pitches them on letting her go.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
On the stairs there were bumbling uncertain footsteps and through the door came Mack.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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.
