Word
bumble
Phoneticsbum·ble, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbəmbəɫ/
UK/bˈʌmbəl/
Definitions
01to move clumsily
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to move or act in an awkward, clumsy, or confused way.
v. to move or act in an awkward, clumsy, or stumbling manner, often due to a lack of coordination or confidence.
“He bumbled around the dark room, trying to find the light switch.”
“The new intern bumbled through the office, accidentally knocking over a stack of files while searching for the printer.”
02to speak unclearly
C1 · Advanced Informal
v. to speak in a confused way for a long time, often making it hard for others to understand.
v. to speak in a rambling, incoherent, or indistinct manner, typically at tedious length.
“The speaker began to bumble, losing his place in the notes.”
“The politician began to bumble when asked about the specific details of the budget, failing to provide a coherent answer.”
Antonyms
03to do a task badly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to do a job or task very badly or with many mistakes.
v. to perform a task clumsily or incompetently; to bungle or botch an assignment.
“The team bumbled the project so badly that they had to start over.”
“The administration bumbled the rollout of the new software, leading to widespread system failures across the entire department.”
Synonyms
04a bee
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Dialect · British English
n. a short name for a bumblebee.
n. a colloquial or dialectal term for a bumblebee.
“A large bumble landed on the flower in the garden.”
“The children watched a fuzzy bumble move from clover to clover in the meadow.”
Synonyms
Etymology
Onomatopoeia. Compare bungle, jumble, and fumble.
* Verb: Frequentative of boom and/or bum, equivalent to bum + -le. * Noun: From the verb.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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