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
After bumbling around for a while, having some trouble with guards, and befriending a huge alien that many would've expected to be a giant monster at first, the path to the lair is revealed inside an underground section of the spa. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2024 Daniel Stern, who played bumbling burglar Marv in Home Alone, recently reflected on filming the holiday classic, even recalling when Joe Pesci accidentally bit young Macaulay Culkin's finger while shooting one of the movie's intimidation scenes. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024 The torque converter slipped enough to prevent me from building up speed and bumbling up the obstacle, as one or two tires lifted off the ground and threw off the front and rear differential operation. Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024 Fans often get nostalgic about the movie, with everything from the McCallister home to the various traps Culkin's character Kevin sets for bumbling thieves Harry and Marv coming under the microscope on social media. Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 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 11 Jan. 2025.

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!