stumble

[ stuhm-buh l ]

/ ˈstʌm bəl /

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.

QUIZZES

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Question 1 of 7

transliterate

to remove or destroy all traces of.

to change (letters, words, etc.), into corresponding characters of another alphabet or language.

to explain in terms that can be more easily understood.

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Origin of stumble

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

OTHER WORDS FROM stumble

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

Words nearby stumble

stuka, stukkend, stull, stultify, stum, stumble, stumble across, stumblebum, stumbling block, stumer, stump

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for stumbles

One day, he stumbles across a mysterious orb whose very existence threatens the future of the universe.
The Next Han Solo: Chris Pratt on His Star-Making Turn in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’|Marlow Stern|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She stumbles over to the bathroom and points to the bathtub.
‘My Granny The Escort’: Meet 85-Year-Old Sheila Vogel-Coupe, Britain’s Oldest Prostitute|Marlow Stern|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Carlos Sanchez stumbles in with his buddy, Pablo, singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
How to Be Popular, ’50s Style: ‘Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek’|Maya Van Wagenen|April 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cohle seems to have blind luck behind him as he stumbles into one obvious clue after another.
‘True Detective,’ Obsessive-Compulsive Noir, and ‘Twin Peaks’|Jimmy So|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Lucy Ellman fantasizes about a world without electricity, yet she stumbles upon her own rebutall.
A World Without Electricity|Justin Green|January 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If one looks up too much at the clouds one stumbles against rough stones sometimes.
Esther|Rosa Nouchette Carey
Do you think that Bellido Dolfos will be discouraged because he stumbles at the beginning of a journey?
The Cid Campeador|Antonio de Trueba
For even now his son Polyphemus stumbles a bruised and sightless way among his native hills.
The Adventures of Ulysses the Wanderer|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
He stumbles at the first premise, and lies sprawling at the very threshold of the argument.
The Gentle Reader|Samuel McChord Crothers
She sets her foot upon a man's hand, leaps, stumbles on his body to a fall: Christian dead lies under her embrace.
The Unknown Sea|Clemence Housman

British Dictionary definitions for stumbles

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 forms of stumble

stumbler, 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

stumble

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

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

noun

QUIZZES

THIS WEEK’S WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ IS POSITIVELY FELICIFIC

Origin of stumble

OTHER WORDS FROM stumble

Words nearby stumble

Words related to stumbles

Example sentences from the Web for stumbles

British Dictionary definitions for stumbles

verb (intr)

noun

Derived forms of stumble

Word Origin for stumble