tumble
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fall down suddenly, often rolling or turning over.
v.to fall headlong or end over end, typically in an uncontrolled manner.
Simple“The toddler took a few steps and then tumbled onto the soft grass.”
In context“The cyclist tumbled over the handlebars after hitting a hidden pothole, fortunately escaping with only minor bruises.”
UsageOften used with 'over' or 'down'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fall very quickly in amount or value.
v.to decrease rapidly and significantly in value, price, or amount.
Simple“Share prices began to tumble after the company announced its poor results.”
In context“Market confidence evaporated overnight, causing the currency to tumble to its lowest level against the dollar in three decades.”
UsageIntransitive; frequently used in financial or statistical contexts.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move or rush in a messy, hurried, or uncontrolled way.
v.to move, rush, or emerge in a headlong, disorderly, or confused fashion.
Simple“The children all tumbled out of the school bus as soon as the doors opened.”
In context“A chaotic mix of old clothes and papers tumbled out of the closet when he finally forced the door open.”
UsageUsually followed by a preposition of movement like 'out', 'into', or 'through'.
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to perform jumps, rolls, and other gymnastic moves on the floor.
v.to perform acrobatic feats, such as somersaults or rolls, typically as part of a floor exercise.
Simple“The acrobats tumbled across the stage during the circus performance.”
In context“She spent years learning to tumble, eventually mastering the complex series of backflips required for the competition.”
UsageIntransitive.
Synonymsflipsomersault - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sudden fall, especially one where you roll over.
n.an act of falling, especially in a rolling or headlong manner.
Simple“He took a nasty tumble down the stairs but didn't break any bones.”
In context“Despite the spectacular tumble during the final lap, the runner managed to get up and finish the race.”
UsageCommonly used with the verb 'take'.
- 06 C1 Advanced
n.a messy or confused pile of things.
n.a confused or disorderly heap or collection.
Simple“The desk was covered in a tumble of old letters and unpaid bills.”
In context“The garden was a beautiful tumble of wildflowers and overgrown vines that had been left untouched for years.”
UsageUsually followed by 'of' and a plural or uncountable noun.
Antonyms
“Aemet has said July was mainland Spain's joint-hottest month since the start of its figures in 1961, while new temperature records tumbled across swathes of drought-hit Europe.”
From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whence Dutch tuimelen), Middle Low German tumelen, tummelen, German taumeln and Danish tumle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.