stumble

[ stuhm-buh l ]

/ ˈstʌm bəl /

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 stumbled

He stumbled a bit in his reelection bid, but the minority leader won Tuesday and then took control of the Senate.
Mitch McConnell’s Big Day: A Turtle Suns Himself|Olivia Nuzzi|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I told them when I stumbled up on that beach in a little while to never forget that WE did this.
From Havana to Hero: Diana Nyad’s 35-Year Quest|Diana Nyad|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
NBC stumbled onto a monster of a television show when it gave the green light to Friends in 1994.
Viral Video of the Day: A Friends Reunion|Jack Holmes|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the morning I stumbled down the staircase and choked down a chunky breakfast smoothie.
Aubrey Plaza’s Great Disconnect|Aubrey Plaza|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The day after the assault, ISAF announced that forces had stumbled upon the dead women after a firefight with insurgents.
Obama's Pentagon Covered Up War Crimes in Afghanistan, Says Amnesty International|Nico Hines, Sami Yousafzai|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He stumbled going out and lost his balance so that the door crashed to behind him, violently.
Then I'll Come Back to You|Larry Evans
Confused and feeling guilty, he stumbled over to it and answered the call in a cracked, sleepy voice.
Beginners Luck|Emily Hahn
I went in first, and stumbled down a couple of steps, nearly falling on my face.
Manco, the Peruvian Chief|W.H.G. Kingston
The needlewoman was delighted that she stumbled more than usual.
The Grandee|Armando Palacio Valds
He stumbled to the sail; but his fingers were all thumbs, and he could not untie the halyard.
Down The River|Oliver Optic

British Dictionary definitions for stumbled

stumble

/ (ˈstʌmbəl) /

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 stumbled

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

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of stumble

Examples from the Web for stumbled

stumble

verb (intr)

noun

Word Origin for stumble

stumble