bumble

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʌmbəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌmbəl

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeia. Compare bungle, jumble, and fumble.

Noun

bumble (plural bumbles)

1. A confusion; a jumble.

Verb

bumble (third-person singular simple present bumbles, present participle bumbling, simple past and past participle bumbled)

1. To act in an inept, clumsy or inexpert manner; to make mistakes.

   Spiders build webs and wait for insects to bumble into them.

Derived terms

• bumblefoot
• Bumblefuck
• bumbleheaded
• bumble puppy
• bumbler
• bumblesome
• bumbly

 

Related terms

• bungle
• fumble
• jumble

Translations

move or act in an awkward or confused manner

• Bulgarian: обърквам се (obǎrkvam se)
• Galician: chafallar (gl), enredar, tropezar
• German: herumeiern (de)
• Maori: tupehau, pakihawa
• Vietnamese: loạng quạng

Etymology 2

• Verb: Frequentative of boom and/or bum, equivalent to bum +‎ -le.
• Noun: From the verb.

This entry needs a sound clip exemplifying the definition.

Verb

bumble (third-person singular simple present bumbles, present participle bumbling, simple past and past participle bumbled)

1. (intransitive) To boom, as a Eurasian bittern.
2. (intransitive) To buzz, as a fly.

Related terms

• bumblebee
• bumblebird

Noun

bumble (plural bumbles)

1. A bumble-bee.
2. (UK, Ireland, dialect) The Eurasian bittern.