stumblebum

[stuhm-buhl-buhm]

noun

Informal.

1. a clumsy, second-rate prizefighter.

2. a clumsy, incompetent person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stumblebum¹

First recorded in 1930–35; stumble + bum ¹

Example Sentences

On the field, an assortment of fluffy stumblebums tussle over squeaky objects until they drag whatever they put in their mouth into an end zone.

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Her fatal flaw was that she stumbled at the wrong time and the adorable stumblebum failed with slightly more flair.

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In one indelible review, the conservative critic Hilton Kramer lamented the “spectacle of mandarin sensibilities masquerading as unlettered but lyrical stumblebums.”

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Collectively, they tell a story that is part political thriller and part courtroom drama, with moments of Shakespearean grandeur and swerves into stumblebum comedy.

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Any stumblebum with a few bucks and a working knowledge of the English language can execute this exchange.

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Related Words

• blunderer www.thesaurus.com
• bungler www.thesaurus.com
• duffer 
• fumbler www.thesaurus.com
• klutz