bumbling

[ buhm-bling ]

adjective

1. liable to make awkward blunders:

   a bumbling mechanic.

2. clumsily incompetent or ineffectual:

   bumbling diplomacy.

noun

1. the act or practice of making blunders:

   The bumbling of their officers cost them the battle.

Other Words From

• bumbling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumbling¹

First recorded in 1525–35; bumble ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Ever the bumbling archeologist, he falls down a shaft and discovers a mysterious door.

From Vox

Many men feel insufficient as parents, with no help from mass media, which sometimes relies too heavily on tropes of either violent, absentee fathers or, inversely, useless, bumbling figures.

From Ozy

That bumbling win over the archrival Ravens included a season-ending injury to star linebacker Bud Dupree, which diminishes the Steelers’ dreams of the second undefeated season in NFL history.

From Washington Post

Of course, Hoover is an extreme example, but other one-term presidents have experienced a similar fate, earning reputations for being hapless and bumbling in the face of serious challenges.

From FiveThirtyEight

The Wizards’ reboot needs to start with trading both John Wall and Bradley BealTo be clear, Antetokounmpo has good reasons to sign the supermax despite Milwaukee’s bumbling.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• inept