STUMBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stumble mean? 

• STUMBLE (noun)
  The noun STUMBLE has 2 senses:

1. an unsteady uneven gait

2. an unintentional but embarrassing blunder

  Familiarity information: STUMBLE used as a noun is rare.

• STUMBLE (verb)
  The verb STUMBLE has 4 senses:

1. walk unsteadily

2. miss a step and fall or nearly fall

3. encounter by chance

4. make an error

  Familiarity information: STUMBLE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STUMBLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unsteady uneven gait

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lurch; stagger; stumble

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

gait (a person's manner of walking)

Derivation:

stumble (walk unsteadily)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An unintentional but embarrassing blunder

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

misstep; stumble; trip; trip-up

Context example:

confusion caused his unfortunate misstep

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

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

Derivation:

stumble (make an error)

• STUMBLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they stumble    ... he / she / it stumbles   
Past simple: stumbled   
Past participle: stumbled   
-ing form: stumbling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Walk unsteadily

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bumble; falter; stumble

Context example:

The drunk man stumbled about

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

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

stumble (an unsteady uneven gait)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Miss a step and fall or nearly fall

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

stumble; trip

Context example:

She stumbled over the tree root

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

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

"Stumble" entails doing...:

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stumble"):

founder (stumble and nearly fall)

Sentence frames:

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

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue stumble

Derivation:

stumbler (a walker or runner who trips and almost falls)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Encounter by chance

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

hit; stumble

Context example:

I stumbled across a long-lost cousin last night in a restaurant

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

come by; come into (obtain, especially accidentally)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make an error

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

slip up; stumble; trip up

Context example:

She slipped up and revealed the name

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

err; mistake; slip (to make a mistake or be incorrect)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

stumble (an unintentional but embarrassing blunder)

stumbler (someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence)

 Context examples 

However, they may have stumbled onto something that could provide clues to advance the development of such a vaccine.

(Vaccine for Meningitis Shows Some Protection Against Gonorrhea, VOA)

Then the woman began to fall. Then the man. I did not fall, but my feet were heavy and I caught my toes and stumbled many times.

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

As he gave up and stumbled inside his circle, a wolf leaped for him, missed, and landed with all four feet in the coals.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Too much cast down to speak, we stumbled down the dark tunnel and made our way back to the camp.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When I entered the room to receive my orders, I found that Captain Barrington had already stumbled off to bed.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

After an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselves stumbling along in the darkness.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Tottering and shaking in all his giant frame, he stumbled slowly from the room.

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

She stumbled through it, pausing now and again to wipe her eyes, and when she had finished, said: An' does it mean that you come by the money honestly?

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

One may be continually abusive without saying anything just; but one cannot always be laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

If I remember right, he stumbled over a heap of stones, looked up at the stars, and so on.

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