stumblebum

noun

stum·​ble·​bum ˈstəm-bəl-ˌbəm How to pronounce stumblebum (audio)
: a clumsy or inept person
especially : an inept boxer

Examples of stumblebum in a Sentence

His political opponents have portrayed him as an inept stumblebum.
Recent Examples on the Web As opposed to palookas and has-beens and tin cans and stumblebums, a player who got waived departed with his dignity intact. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2018 The physicians lining up with Teirstein are not a bunch of stumblebums afraid of a few tests. Kurt Eichenwald, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2015 From the mid-1960s through the early ’70s, my prime rooting years, the Yankees were a team of stumblebums not even redeemed by charm. James Traub, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2017 Gerald Ford, for all his stumblebum image, was a Yale Law School graduate and veteran of legislative details. James Fallows, The Atlantic, 20 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stumblebum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stumblebum was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near stumblebum

Cite this Entry

“Stumblebum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumblebum. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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