bumbling

adjective

bum·​bling ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bumbling (audio)
: awkwardly blundering or faltering
a bumbling speaker
: prone to or marked by foolish mistakes
a bumbling attempt to fix the problem
… many Americans see the F.D.A. as bumbling and inefficient …Herbert Burkholz
bumblingly adverb
… none of them truly wants him in her home while he tries, bumblingly, to get his act together … Laura Collins-Hughes

Examples of bumbling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Except, where this troublemaker is concerned, Stitch remains animated, while practically all the other characters are played by real people — including Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen, in a pair of great physical comedy performances, as two bumbling aliens in human disguise. Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2025 The 800-page epic starts slowly, as McMurtry introduces readers to a couple of former Texas Rangers and their bumbling ranch hands in 1870s South Texas. The Atlantic, 15 May 2025 No, Carell confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter last year that his bumbling, big-hearted Michael Scott will not swing by the Toledo newspaper. EW.com, 14 May 2025 Jack comes across as a bumbling fool in a live TV interview about the trade, discussing the physical attraction of his dancers in a way that is very clueless for someone in his role. Oliver Sava, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bumbling

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumbling was in 1660

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Cite this Entry

“Bumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumbling. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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