bumble

/ˈbʌmbəl/

/ˈbʌmbəl/

Other forms: bumbling; bumbled; bumbles

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.

Definitions of bumble

1. verb

   walk unsteadily
   synonyms: falter, stumble

   type of:

   walk

   use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
2. verb

   speak haltingly
   synonyms: falter, stammer, stutter

   type of:

   mouth, speak, talk, utter, verbalise, verbalize

   express in speech
3. verb

   make a mess of, destroy or ruin
   synonyms: ball up, blow, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, botch, botch up, bungle, butcher, flub, fluff, foul up, fumble, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, muff, screw up, spoil

   type of:

   fail, go wrong, miscarry

   be unsuccessful