stumble

[stuhm-buh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stumble ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), stum·bled, stum·bling.

to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.

to walk or go unsteadily: to stumble down a dark passage.

to make a slip, mistake, or blunder, especially a sinful one: to stumble over a question; to stumble and fall from grace.

to proceed in a hesitating or blundering manner, as in action or speech (often followed by along).

to discover or meet with accidentally or unexpectedly (usually followed by on, upon, or across): They stumbled on a little village.

to falter or hesitate, as at an obstacle to progress or belief.

verb (used with object), stum·bled, stum·bling.

to cause to stumble; trip.

to give pause to; puzzle or perplex.

noun

the act of stumbling.

a moral lapse or error.

a slip or blunder.

Nearby words

Origin of stumble

1275–1325; Middle English stumblen; cognate with Norwegian stumla to grope and stumble in the dark; akin to stammer

Related formsstum·bler, nounstum·bling·ly, adverbun·stum·bling, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for stumble

A party that cannot make these decisions openly and confidently will stumble in 2016.
What Republicans Need Right Now Is a Good Internal Fight|James Poulos|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, the labor unions and liberal groups that nominally backed Cuomo could not be more thrilled to see him stumble.
Andrew Cuomo Can't Ignore It Now: He's Weak Even at Home|David Freedlander|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I stumble through interviews for my job at NY1, memories flooding back.
Gaza, You're No Good For My Marriage|Josh Robin|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wandering around Tribeca, you may stumble upon a decrepit elevator shaft that's full of curiosities.
New York’s Tiniest—and Weirdest—Museum|Nina Strochlic|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Grilled about whether his statements stemmed from racism or jealousy, as he has claimed, Sterling started to stumble.
Donald Sterling’s Insane Attempt at Damage Control Fails Miserably|Nina Strochlic|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Adams left the problem as he found it, and came north to stumble over others, less picturesque but nearer.
The Education of Henry Adams|Henry Adams
You stumble, and you cause those whom you guide to stumble.'
The Gospel of St. John|Frederick Denison Maurice
I am fearful of going away, as we may stumble upon some more of them.
Peter Simple|Frederick Marryat
At any moment some servant, rising earlier than his fellows, might stumble upon us, and in his surprise sound the alarm.
Captain Macklin|Richard Harding Davis
“The stumble of the governor might be fortunate for more reasons than one,” thought Edward.
Antony Waymouth|W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for stumble

stumble

verb (intr)

to trip or fall while walking or running

to walk in an awkward, unsteady, or unsure way

to make mistakes or hesitate in speech or actions

(foll by across or upon) to come (across) by accident

to commit a grave mistake or sin

noun

a false step, trip, or blunder

the act of stumbling

Derived Formsstumbler, nounstumbling, adjectivestumblingly, adverb

Word Origin for stumble

C14: related to Norwegian stumla, Danish dialect stumle; see stammer

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

Word Origin and History for stumble

stumble

c.1300, "to trip or miss one's footing" (physically or morally), probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. dialectal Norwegian stumla, Swedish stambla "to stumble"), probably from a variant of the Proto-Germanic base *stam-, source of Old English stamerian "to stammer," German stumm "dumb, silent." Possibly influenced in form by stumpen "to stumble," but the -b- may be purely euphonious. Meaning "to come (upon) by chance" is attested from 1550s. Stumbling-block first recorded 1526, used in Rom. xiv:13 to translate Greek skandalon.

stumble

verb (used without object), stum·bled, stum·bling.

verb (used with object), stum·bled, stum·bling.

noun

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Origin of stumble

Examples from the Web for stumble

stumble

verb (intr)

noun

Word Origin for stumble

stumble