bumbling

adjective bum·bling \ ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ \

Updated on: 7 May 2018

Definition of bumbling

: awkwardly blundering or faltering

a bumbling speaker

: prone to or marked by foolish mistakes

a bumbling attempt to fix the problem

… many Americans see the F.D.A. as bumbling and inefficient …
—Herbert Burkholz

—

bumblingly

adverb

- … none of them truly wants him in her home while he tries, bumblingly, to get his act together …
- —Laura Collins-Hughes

Recent Examples of bumbling from the Web

Cleveland Clowns: Rest assured that whichever quarterback the bumbling Browns take will be the wrong one.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Dolphins will draft Derwin James of FSU while Bucs and Jaguars will take ...?," 26 Apr. 2018
As a journalist and frequent talk show guest before that, he was seen by many critics as using a bumbling demeanor to mask a loose grip on facts.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "Britain’s Boris Johnson accused of misleading public over Skripal poisoning evidence," 4 Apr. 2018
This all raises a few questions for our bumbling Statehouse Republicans.

— indystar, Indianapolis Star, "Women want to rule, Buttigieg gets serious buzz and emails slam 'the fix'," 28 Mar. 2018
And the Saviors without Negan are, thus far, a fairly bumbling lot.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Showtime at the Hilltop: A big 'Walking Dead' battle leaves questions for all," 26 Mar. 2018
In Human Highway, Young’s a bumbling auto mechanic named Lionel Switch employed at a gas-station diner, which happens to be located precariously near a power plant.

— morgan enos, Billboard, "Before Watching Neil Young in 'Paradox,' Check Out These 'Bernard Shakey' Productions," 23 Mar. 2018
For all the internet memes comparing Trump officials to Bond bad guys, the bumbling villains of Austin Powers are the better reference.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Trump has been playing right into China’s hands," 9 Mar. 2018
As a legislator, Sweeney used his humble and bumbling personality to win over colleagues.

— mark naymik, cleveland.com, "We may never know how good - or bad -- Cleveland's Amazon bid is: Mark Naymik," 18 Jan. 2018
Larry David's onscreen persona is known for his horrendous awkwardness, his complete lack of social graces, and his bumbling dad look.

— max berlinger, GQ, "Larry David Is ... Actually Very Stylish?," 28 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bumbling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bumbling

1886

in the meaning defined above

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bumbling

Definition of bumbling

bumblingly

Recent Examples of bumbling from the Web

First Known Use of bumbling

Seen and Heard

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Definition of bumbling

bumblingly

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