FUMBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fumble mean? 

• FUMBLE (noun)
  The noun FUMBLE has 1 sense:

1. (sports) dropping the ball

  Familiarity information: FUMBLE used as a noun is very rare.

• FUMBLE (verb)
  The verb FUMBLE has 5 senses:

1. feel about uncertainly or blindly

2. make one's way clumsily or blindly

3. handle clumsily

4. make a mess of, destroy or ruin

5. drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder

  Familiarity information: FUMBLE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FUMBLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(sports) dropping the ball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

fumble; muff

Hypernyms ("fumble" is a kind of...):

bloomer; blooper; blunder; boner; boo-boo; botch; bungle; flub; foul-up; fuckup; pratfall (an embarrassing mistake)

Domain category:

American football; American football game (a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays)

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Derivation:

fumble (drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder)

• FUMBLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they fumble    ... he / she / it fumbles   
Past simple: fumbled   
Past participle: fumbled   
-ing form: fumbling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feel about uncertainly or blindly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

fumble; grope

Context example:

She groped for her glasses in the darkness of the bedroom

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

look for; search; seek (try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make one's way clumsily or blindly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

blunder; fumble

Context example:

He fumbled towards the door

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

pass (go across or through)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Handle clumsily

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

handle; palm (touch, lift, or hold with the hands)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make a mess of, destroy or ruin

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

ball up; blow; bobble; bodge; bollix; bollix up; bollocks; bollocks up; botch; botch up; bumble; bungle; flub; fluff; foul up; fuck up; fumble; louse up; mess up; mishandle; muck up; muff; screw up; spoil

Context example:

the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

fail; go wrong; miscarry (be unsuccessful)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

fumbler (someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

fumble a grounder

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

play (participate in games or sport)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

fumble ((sports) dropping the ball)

 Context examples 

She peered at me over her spectacles, and then she opened a drawer and fumbled among its contents for a long time, so long that my hopes began to falter.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I saw his hand miss the door-knob by an inch, quickly fumble for it, and find it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Martin stood aside and let them pass, fumbling unconsciously in his coat pocket for the tobacco and brown papers that were not there.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“By Heaven, it is my orders!” cried Nelson, snatching it up and fumbling with it in his awkward, one-handed attempt to break the seals.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I shall say I didn't know you, for you look so grown-up and unlike yourself, I'm quite afraid of you," he said, fumbling at his glove button.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Then he fumbled in his bag, and taking out a matchbox and a piece of candle, proceeded to make a light.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It was pitch dark inside the house, and the colonel fumbled about looking for matches and muttering under his breath.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was a fumbling at the latch, then the door swung in and Haythorne entered with an armful of firewood.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

And, fumbling in her satchel, she pressed a five-dollar piece into his hand.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

A few minutes later the mate came fumbling about in search of it, but I returned it privily to Leach next day.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)