lumbering

American  

[luhm-ber-ing] / ˈlʌm bər ɪŋ /

noun

1. the trade or business of cutting and preparing lumber.

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lumbering ¹ British  

/ ˈlʌmbərɪŋ /

adjective

1. awkward in movement

2. moving with a rumbling sound

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lumbering ² British  

/ ˈlʌmbərɪŋ /

noun

1. the business or trade of cutting, transporting, preparing, or selling timber

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Other Word Forms

• lumberingly adverb
• lumberingness noun
• unlumbering adjective

Etymology

Origin of lumbering

First recorded in 1765–75; lumber ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

In between takes, I’d see this big lumbering monster taking photos with his little camera, which was incredible.

From Los Angeles Times

As for the animatronics, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has taken obvious care and skill in re-creating the film’s lumbering robots and evoking their game origins.

From Los Angeles Times

I prepare to jump into a roast contest when a roar suddenly sounds from the forest in front of us—and I think I see a huge form lumbering toward us.

From Literature

Bears came lumbering down from the hills, and fish jumped up from the ponds, and vultures circled above.

From Literature

Part of Melissa's punch stems from its slow pace: it is lumbering along slower than most people walk, at just three miles per hour or less.

From Barron's

Related Words

• hulking
• ungainly
• unwieldy