stumble
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.
to cause to stumble; trip.
to give pause to; puzzle or perplex.
the act of stumbling.
a moral lapse or error.
a slip or blunder.
Origin of stumble
1Other words from stumble
- stumbler, noun
- stum·bling·ly, adverb
- un·stum·bling, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use stumble in a sentence
Stumblingly he struggled towards the companion-way, where he saw a dark moving object.
The Everlasting Arms | Joseph HockingAs he alighted, stumblingly, Maku caught him by the other arm.
The Girl and The Bill | Bannister MerwinStumblingly, humbly he told her, and she listened, nestling in his arms as one who has found her own place.
The Boss of Wind River | David Goodger (goodger@python.org)That effort confined to the county in which Cheslow and the Red Mill were located had begun early; but it had gone stumblingly.
Ruth Fielding In the Red Cross | Alice B. EmersonHe reeled and clutched at the tent-flap, then stumblingly made his way out.
The Haunting of Low Fennel | Sax Rohmer
British Dictionary definitions for stumble
/ (ˈstʌmbəl) /
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
a false step, trip, or blunder
the act of stumbling
Origin of stumble
1Derived forms of stumble
- stumbler, noun
- stumbling, adjective
- stumblingly, adverb
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
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