Dictionary.com

jumble

[ juhm-buhl ]
/ ˈdʒʌm bəl /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: jumble / jumbled on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), jum·bled, jum·bling.
to mix in a confused mass; put or throw together without order: You've jumbled up all the cards.
to confuse mentally; muddle.
verb (used without object), jum·bled, jum·bling.
to be mixed together in a disorderly heap or mass.
to meet or come together confusedly.
noun
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as


Origin of jumble

1520–30; perhaps blend of joll to bump (now dial.) and tumble

OTHER WORDS FROM jumble

jum·ble·ment, nounjumbler, nounjum·bling·ly, adverbun·jum·bled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jumble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jumble

jumble
/ (ˈdʒʌmbəl) /

verb
to mingle (objects, papers, etc) in a state of disorder
(tr; usually passive) to remember in a confused form; muddle
noun
a disordered mass, state, etc
British articles donated for a jumble sale
Also called: jumbal a small thin cake, usually ring-shaped

Derived forms of jumble

jumbler, nounjumbly, adjective

Word Origin for jumble

C16: of uncertain 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
FEEDBACK