bumble

1 of 2

verb (1)

bum·​ble ˈbəm-bəl How to pronounce bumble (audio)
bumbled; bumbling ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bumble (audio)

bumble

2 of 2

verb (2)

bumbled; bumbling

intransitive verb

1
: blunder
specifically : to speak ineptly in a stuttering and faltering manner
2
: to proceed unsteadily : stumble
bumbler noun

Examples of bumble in a Sentence

Verb (1) a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep Verb (2) accused the White House staff of bumbling the announcement of the replacement for the cabinet post I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The arrival of Ming and Grace and the demands of running a 24-hour business show Yuen as someone who may not use many words, sometimes bumbling his way around as a father, but whose love for his family is deep and true. Richard Kuipers, Variety, 2 Nov. 2024 Perhaps Johnson and his colleagues are all bumbling fools. Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024 Our protagonist, bumbling policeman Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), becomes invested in stopping the outbreak when his daughter, Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee), suddenly becomes possessed. Travis Bean, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024 Yasmin's simmering secret about her father's death and Harper's vengeful plans to short Pierpoint overshadowed their somewhat incompetent coworker who continues to bumble his way through banking and life. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bumble 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English bomblen to boom, of imitative origin

Verb (2)

perhaps alteration of bungle

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1533, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumble was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near bumble

Cite this Entry

“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumble. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!