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fumble

View usage for:

fumble

(fʌmbəl)

Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense fumbles, present participle fumbling, past tense, past participle fumbled

1. verb

If you fumble for something or fumble with something, you try and reach for it or hold it in a clumsy way.

She crept from the bed and fumbled for her dressing gown. [V + for/with]

He fumbled with the buttons at the neck. [Vfor/with/in n]

He fumbled his one-handed attempt to light his cigarette. [VERB noun]

[Also V + in]

Synonyms: grope, flounder, paw [informal], scrabble More Synonyms of fumble

2. verb

When you are trying to say something, if you fumble for the right words, you speak in a clumsy and unclear way.

I fumbled for something to say. [VERB + for]

He fumbled his lines, not knowing what he was going to say. [VERB noun]

[Also VERB]

More Synonyms of fumble

fumble in British English

(ˈfʌmbəl)

verb

1. (intr; often foll by for or with)

to grope about clumsily or blindly, esp in searching

She was fumbling in the dark for the money she had dropped

2. (intr; foll by at or with)

to finger or play with, esp in an absent-minded way

to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly

he fumbled the introduction badly

to fail to catch or grasp (a ball, etc) cleanly

noun

the act of fumbling

Derived forms

fumbler (ˈfumbler)

noun

fumblingly (ˈfumblingly)

adverb

fumblingness (ˈfumblingness)

noun

Word origin

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish fumla

fumble in American English

(ˈfʌmbəl)

verb intransitive, verb transitiveWord forms: ˈfumbled or ˈfumbling

to search (for a thing) by feeling about awkwardly with the hands; grope clumsily

to handle (a thing) clumsily or unskillfully; bungle

to lose one's grasp on (a football, etc.) while trying to catch or hold it

to make (one's way) clumsily or by groping

noun

the act or fact of fumbling

a football, etc. that has been fumbled

Derived forms

fumbler (ˈfumbler)

noun

fumblingly (ˈfumblingly)

adverb

Word origin

var. of ME famelen, prob. < ON famla, akin to Du fommeln, Ger fummeln

Examples of 'fumble' in a sentence
fumble

It was usually a clumsy fumble under the sheets.Here are three fumbling attempts at an answer.That sounds quaint today but our grandkids will laugh at the idea of fumbling around for a remote control.It's bad enough to be reduced to fumbling around without electricity at any time.He found it difficult to explain to these strangers what he was doing in Afghanistan and fumbled awkwardly with his knife and fork.There was a lot of fumbling around and the alarms were set off inside - they kept interrupting and it was pretty awkward.I was fumbling around, as the audience murmured in disbelief.But, at the same time, it is core to their appeal and not something they can fumble.And as you fumble about with all the buttons on the centre console you won't be looking where you're going.

In other languages
fumble

British English: fumble VERB

If you fumble for something or fumble with something, you try and reach for it or hold it in a clumsy way.

She crept from the bed and fumbled for her dressing gown.

American English: fumble
Brazilian Portuguese: atrapalhar-se
Chinese: 笨拙地去够
European Spanish: buscar a tientas
French: tâtonner
German: umhertasten
Italian: brancolare
Japanese: 手探りする
Korean: 더듬거리다
European Portuguese: atrapalhar-se
Latin American Spanish: buscar a tientas

Chinese translation of 'fumble'

fumble

(ˈfʌmbl)

vi

to fumble for 笨手笨脚(腳)地摸索 (bènshǒu bènjiǎo de mōsuǒ)

1 (verb) in the sense of grope

Definition

to use the hands clumsily or grope about blindly

She crept from the bed and fumbled for her dressing gown.

Synonyms

grope

He groped in his pocket for his wallet.

flounder

paw (informal)

scrabble

I hung there, scrabbling with my feet to find a foothold.

feel around

2 (verb) in the sense of stumble

Definition

to say or do awkwardly

I fumbled around like an idiot.

Synonyms

stumble

It was dark by the time they stumbled into the farmyard.

struggle

blunder

People wanted to know how they had blundered into the war.

flounder

men floundering about in the water

bumble

3 (verb) in the sense of bungle

Definition

to say or do awkwardly

I'd hate to fumble a chance like this.

Synonyms

bungle

Two prisoners bungled an escape bid last night

spoil

It is important not to let mistakes spoil your life.

botch

It's a silly idea, and he has botched it.

mess up

cock up (British, slang)

mishandle

The judge said the police had mishandled the siege.

fuck up (offensive, taboo, slang)

mismanage

Three-quarters of those surveyed thought the President had mismanaged the economy.

muff

She muffed her opening speech.

make a hash of (informal)

make a nonsense of

bodge (informal)

misfield

crool or cruel (Australian, slang)

(noun) in the sense of miss

Definition

the act of fumbling

Fans cheered a fumble by the home team's star.

Synonyms

miss

After several more misses, they finally got two arrows into the target.

mistake

He says there must have been some mistake.

slip

There must be no slips.

fault

It was a genuine fault.

error

NASA discovered a mathematical error in its calculations.

blunder

I think we have made a tactical blunder.

botch

I rather made a botch of that whole thing.

cock-up (slang)

bodge (informal)

barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang)

Additional synonyms

in the sense of blunder

Definition

to act clumsily

People wanted to know how they had blundered into the war.

Synonyms

stumble,

confuse,

flounder,

bumble,

misjudge

in the sense of blunder

Definition

a stupid or clumsy mistake

I think we have made a tactical blunder.

Synonyms

mistake,

slip,

fault,

error,

boob (British, slang),

oversight,

gaffe,

slip-up (informal),

indiscretion,

impropriety,

howler (informal),

bloomer (British, informal),

clanger (informal),

faux pas,

boo-boo (informal),

gaucherie,

barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang)

in the sense of botch

Definition

to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude

It's a silly idea, and he has botched it.

Synonyms

spoil,

mar,

bungle,

fumble,

screw up (informal),

mess up,

cock up (British, slang),

balls up (taboo, slang),

fuck up (offensive, taboo, slang),

mismanage,

muff,

make a nonsense of (informal),

bodge (informal),

make a pig's ear of (informal),

flub (US, slang),

crool or cruel (Australian, slang)

Synonyms of 'fumble'

fumble

Explore 'fumble' in the dictionary

单词	fumble
释义	Trends of fumble View usage for: fumble (fʌmbəl) Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense fumbles, present participle fumbling, past tense, past participle fumbled 1. verb If you fumble for something or fumble with something, you try and reach for it or hold it in a clumsy way. She crept from the bed and fumbled for her dressing gown. [V + for/with] He fumbled with the buttons at the neck. [Vfor/with/in n] He fumbled his one-handed attempt to light his cigarette. [VERB noun] [Also V + in] Synonyms: grope, flounder, paw [informal], scrabble More Synonyms of fumble 2. verb When you are trying to say something, if you fumble for the right words, you speak in a clumsy and unclear way. I fumbled for something to say. [VERB + for] He fumbled his lines, not knowing what he was going to say. [VERB noun] [Also VERB] More Synonyms of fumble fumble in British English (ˈfʌmbəl) verb 1. (intr; often foll by for or with) to grope about clumsily or blindly, esp in searching She was fumbling in the dark for the money she had dropped 2. (intr; foll by at or with) to finger or play with, esp in an absent-minded way 3. to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly he fumbled the introduction badly 4. to fail to catch or grasp (a ball, etc) cleanly noun 5. the act of fumbling Derived forms fumbler (ˈfumbler) noun fumblingly (ˈfumblingly) adverb fumblingness (ˈfumblingness) noun Word origin C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish fumla fumble in American English (ˈfʌmbəl) verb intransitive, verb transitiveWord forms: ˈfumbled or ˈfumbling 1. to search (for a thing) by feeling about awkwardly with the hands; grope clumsily 2. to handle (a thing) clumsily or unskillfully; bungle 3. to lose one's grasp on (a football, etc.) while trying to catch or hold it 4. to make (one's way) clumsily or by groping noun 5. the act or fact of fumbling 6. a football, etc. that has been fumbled Derived forms fumbler (ˈfumbler) noun fumblingly (ˈfumblingly) adverb Word origin var. of ME famelen, prob. < ON famla, akin to Du fommeln, Ger fummeln Examples of 'fumble' in a sentence fumble It was usually a clumsy fumble under the sheets. The Sun (2012) Here are three fumbling attempts at an answer. Christianity Today (2000) That sounds quaint today but our grandkids will laugh at the idea of fumbling around for a remote control. The Sun (2013) It's bad enough to be reduced to fumbling around without electricity at any time. The Sun (2013) He found it difficult to explain to these strangers what he was doing in Afghanistan and fumbled awkwardly with his knife and fork. James Fergusson KANDAHAR COCKNEY: A Tale of Two Worlds (2004) There was a lot of fumbling around and the alarms were set off inside - they kept interrupting and it was pretty awkward. The Sun (2015) I was fumbling around, as the audience murmured in disbelief. Times, Sunday Times (2010) But, at the same time, it is core to their appeal and not something they can fumble. Times, Sunday Times (2011) And as you fumble about with all the buttons on the centre console you won't be looking where you're going. Times, Sunday Times (2007) In other languages fumble British English: fumble VERB If you fumble for something or fumble with something, you try and reach for it or hold it in a clumsy way. She crept from the bed and fumbled for her dressing gown. American English: fumble Brazilian Portuguese: atrapalhar-se Chinese: 笨拙地去够 European Spanish: buscar a tientas French: tâtonner German: umhertasten Italian: brancolare Japanese: 手探りする Korean: 더듬거리다 European Portuguese: atrapalhar-se Latin American Spanish: buscar a tientas Chinese translation of 'fumble' fumble (ˈfʌmbl) vi to fumble for 笨手笨脚(腳)地摸索 (bènshǒu bènjiǎo de mōsuǒ) 1 (verb) in the sense of grope Definition to use the hands clumsily or grope about blindly She crept from the bed and fumbled for her dressing gown. Synonyms grope He groped in his pocket for his wallet. flounder paw (informal) scrabble I hung there, scrabbling with my feet to find a foothold. feel around 2 (verb) in the sense of stumble Definition to say or do awkwardly I fumbled around like an idiot. Synonyms stumble It was dark by the time they stumbled into the farmyard. struggle blunder People wanted to know how they had blundered into the war. flounder men floundering about in the water bumble 3 (verb) in the sense of bungle Definition to say or do awkwardly I'd hate to fumble a chance like this. Synonyms bungle Two prisoners bungled an escape bid last night spoil It is important not to let mistakes spoil your life. botch It's a silly idea, and he has botched it. mess up cock up (British, slang) mishandle The judge said the police had mishandled the siege. fuck up (offensive, taboo, slang) mismanage Three-quarters of those surveyed thought the President had mismanaged the economy. muff She muffed her opening speech. make a hash of (informal) make a nonsense of bodge (informal) misfield crool or cruel (Australian, slang) (noun) in the sense of miss Definition the act of fumbling Fans cheered a fumble by the home team's star. Synonyms miss After several more misses, they finally got two arrows into the target. mistake He says there must have been some mistake. slip There must be no slips. fault It was a genuine fault. error NASA discovered a mathematical error in its calculations. blunder I think we have made a tactical blunder. botch I rather made a botch of that whole thing. cock-up (slang) bodge (informal) barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang) Additional synonyms in the sense of blunder Definition to act clumsily People wanted to know how they had blundered into the war. Synonyms stumble, confuse, flounder, bumble, misjudge in the sense of blunder Definition a stupid or clumsy mistake I think we have made a tactical blunder. Synonyms mistake, slip, fault, error, boob (British, slang), oversight, gaffe, slip-up (informal), indiscretion, impropriety, howler (informal), bloomer (British, informal), clanger (informal), faux pas, boo-boo (informal), gaucherie, barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang) in the sense of botch Definition to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude It's a silly idea, and he has botched it. Synonyms spoil, mar, bungle, fumble, screw up (informal), mess up, cock up (British, slang), balls up (taboo, slang), fuck up (offensive, taboo, slang), mismanage, muff, make a nonsense of (informal), bodge (informal), make a pig's ear of (informal), flub (US, slang), crool or cruel (Australian, slang) Synonyms of 'fumble' fumble Explore 'fumble' in the dictionary
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Trends offumble

fumble

fumble in British English

fumble in American English

Examples of 'fumble' in a sentencefumble

In other languagesfumble

Chinese translation of 'fumble'

fumble

vi

Additional synonyms

Synonyms of 'fumble'

fumble

Trends of
fumble

Examples of 'fumble' in a sentence
fumble

In other languages
fumble