bumble
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to bungle or blunder awkwardly; muddle.
He somehow bumbled through two years of college.
-
to stumble or stagger.
-
to speak in a low, stuttering, halting manner; mumble.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to speak or do in a clumsy, muddled, or inefficient way
he bumbled his way through his speech
-
(intr) to proceed unsteadily; stumble
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bumble1
1525–35; perhaps blend of bungle and stumble
Origin of bumble2
1350–1400; Middle English bomblen, frequentative of bomben to boom, buzz; imitative
Explanation
To bumble is to move or speak in an awkward, fumbling way. You might bumble your way through your first dance performance, tripping over your own two feet. When you bumble, you walk unsteadily or speak with a stutter. You can also bumble something, or completely mess it up. An inexperienced teacher might bumble her attempts at managing a huge class of middle school students, and you might worry that you'll bumble your first interview as a radio reporter. Bumble was first used in the 1500's, and it's probably an imitative word, or one that sounds like what it means.
Vocabulary lists containing bumble
Awkward Moments
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"The Wife of Bath's Tale," Vocabulary from the narrative poem
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Look Both Ways
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
To examine how different pollinators interact, the team divided flower visitors into five groups: honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies, and an 'other' category containing butterflies, beetles, and wasps.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
In the play, two minor characters from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” bumble about, confused about their role in the prince’s drama, and wander into existential discussions about the search for meaning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025
When, in the farcical, action-oriented second half, some attempt to execute a … plot, they bumble and argue and push each other to the front.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2025
"This could have cascading effects on bumble bee populations."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024
The humming of the screws overhead dropped an octave and a half, back through wasp and hornet to bumble bee, to cockchafer, to stag- beetle.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
The Steelers had bumbled into the decisive Week 18 contest by managing the impossible and losing to Shedeur Sanders and Cleveland the week before, extending Baltimore’s life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
I bumbled my way through an explanation of not having had my coffee yet and leaving them in the car by mistake.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025
At 48, Miller had floundered and bumbled through a 20-year career, to the dismay of his superiors, who could not muster the will to fire him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025
The Chinese balloon that bumbled its way across the U.S. prompted many questions about its real intent.
From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2023
Lydia pulled herself from her reverie just as Travis bumbled into Good News, his hair still wet from the shower.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
It’s also true of how the ICE agents are portrayed as bumbling “mall cops,” white and Latino people from border communities who need a job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The fumbling, bumbling Chargers keep stumbling in their unprecedented 0-4 start in the Jim Harbaugh era.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
The shrews must also dodge the menacing cat, Terrification, as well as the bumbling Inspector Dalgliesh, a dog who finds his name a constant source of exasperation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
"The island would not be the same without him. He's still bumbling, still a wee bit getting the wrong end of the stick quite a lot."
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
And there were those fat puffins, looking like chumps, bumbling around like they had no idea how to get on in the world, looking dumb and stupid, and so beautiful that I wanted to...nothing.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
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