bumbling

- 6 dictionary results

bum⋅bling

[buhm-bling]

–adjective

1.	liable to make awkward blunders: a bumbling mechanic.

2.	clumsily incompetent or ineffectual: bumbling diplomacy.

–noun

3.	the act or practice of making blunders: The bumbling of their officers cost them the battle.

Origin:
1525–35; bumble ¹ + -ing ²

Related forms:

bum⋅bling⋅ly, adverb

bum⋅ble

1 [buhm-buh

verb, -bled, -bling, noun

–verb (used without object)

1.	to bungle or blunder awkwardly; muddle: He somehow bumbled through two years of college.

2.	to stumble or stagger.

3.	to speak in a low, stuttering, halting manner; mumble.

–verb (used with object)

4.	to do (something) clumsily; botch.

–noun

5.	an awkward blunder.

Origin:
1525–35; perh. b. bungle and stumble

Related forms:

bumbler, noun

bum⋅ble

2 [buhm-buh

–verb (used without object), -bled, -bling.

to make a buzzing, humming sound, as a bee.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME bomblen, freq. of bomben to boom, buzz; imit.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

Link To bumbling

bum·ble¹ (bŭm'bəl)

v. bum·bled, bum·bling, bum·bles

v. intr.

To speak in a faltering manner.
To move, act, or proceed clumsily. See Synonyms at blunder.

v. tr.
To bungle; botch.

[Perhaps blend of bungle and stumble.]
bum'bler n.

bum·ble² (bŭm'bəl)

intr.v. bum·bled, bum·bling, bum·bles
To make a humming or droning sound; buzz.
n. A humming or droning sound; a buzz.

[Middle English bomblen, of imitative origin.]

Word Origin & History

bumble (v.)

"to flounder, blunder," 1532, probably of imitative origin.

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