bumbling

American

[buhm-bling] / ˈbʌm blɪŋ /

adjective

liable to make awkward blunders.

a bumbling mechanic.
clumsily incompetent or ineffectual.

bumbling diplomacy.

noun

the act or practice of making blunders.

The bumbling of their officers cost them the battle.

Other Word Forms

bumblingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of bumbling

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

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.

Even George W. Bush — the bumbling boardwalk caricature that he is — could deliver a State of the Union address without going off-prompter.

From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026

Several shared memes of Mr. Bean giving the middle finger, likening Iranian retaliatory attacks on the Gulf to the bumbling comedic character.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Lise has run-ins with other passengers aboard her flight and, once at her destination, befriends a bumbling, dotty widow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

He says he feels like he's the "bumbling buffoon" in the "walled garden that is traditional publishing" and that he's committed a kind of "literary heist".

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Piggy was only just visible, bumbling up from the beach.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023