# stumbling

/ˈstəmbəɫɪŋ/ (US) · /stˈʌmblɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stumbling
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. unsteady movement

adjective · CEFR B2

walking or moving in an unsteady way, as if you are about to fall.

For teachers: characterised by unsteady or clumsy movement; often used as a participial adjective to describe a person's gait.

- The stumbling hiker finally reached the camp after walking for ten hours.
- The stumbling figure emerged from the thick fog, clearly exhausted and struggling to maintain his balance on the uneven terrain.

### 2. hesitant speech

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

speaking with many pauses and mistakes because you are nervous or confused.

For teachers: marked by hesitation, errors, or lack of fluency in verbal delivery.

- He gave a stumbling apology that didn't sound very sincere.
- Her stumbling explanation only served to increase the committee's suspicion regarding the missing funds.

### 3. the act of tripping

noun · CEFR B2

the act of losing your balance or nearly falling while walking.

For teachers: the action of tripping or losing one's footing; a gerundial noun describing the physical event.

- After a bit of stumbling in the dark, I finally found the light switch.
- The sound of heavy stumbling in the hallway alerted the residents that someone was approaching the door in the middle of the night.

## Examples

- The stumbling toddler finally reached his mother's arms.
- After a stumbling start to the season, the team finally won their first game last night.
- The diplomat's stumbling explanation failed to satisfy the committee, leading to further questions about the transparency of the recent negotiations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.