stumble
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.
-
to walk or go unsteadily.
to stumble down a dark passage.
-
to make a slip, mistake, or blunder, especially a sinful one.
to stumble over a question; to stumble and fall from grace.
-
to proceed in a hesitating or blundering manner, as in action or speech (often followed byalong ).
-
to discover or meet with accidentally or unexpectedly (usually followed by on, upon, oracross ).
They stumbled on a little village.
-
to falter or hesitate, as at an obstacle to progress or belief.
verb (used with object)
-
to cause to stumble; trip.
-
to give pause to; puzzle or perplex.
noun
-
the act of stumbling.
-
a moral lapse or error.
-
a slip or blunder.
verb
-
to trip or fall while walking or running
-
to walk in an awkward, unsteady, or unsure way
-
to make mistakes or hesitate in speech or actions
-
to come (across) by accident
-
to commit a grave mistake or sin
noun
-
a false step, trip, or blunder
-
the act of stumbling
Other Word Forms
- stumbler noun
- stumbling adjective
- stumblingly adverb
- unstumbling adjective
Etymology
Origin of stumble
1275–1325; Middle English stumblen; cognate with Norwegian stumla to grope and stumble in the dark; akin to stammer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Villa are fortunate others have stumbled sooner and for longer this season - ensuring they have maintained a decent grip on third place until now.
From BBC
So, they serve up an array of the outlandish - mid-scroll, viewers stumble upon a lover's fight or a menacing standoff.
From BBC
But I keep stumbling over one small problem with the doomsday vision: It requires a breakdown in how the market economy functions.
She halted and stumbled, line by line, making her way through only some of the speech.
From Literature
His electric vehicle sales have stumbled amid a reputation crisis and declining federal support.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
