1
as in shambling
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in plodding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
the novel's plot lumbers to its predictable conclusion after 500 long pages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in loading
to place a weight or burden on
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lumbering
Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
Its creators, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, Frankensteined the series by stitching together two moribund TV genres—the mockumentary sitcom and the prank show—to construct something new, if still lumbering.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard.
—Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
The only real midrange comes from what sounds like inclement weather or the occasional distant, lumbering percussion.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
The North Atlantic right whale, Latin name Eubalaena glacialis, is one of three species of the lumbering giants.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
So, the lumbering maw that is our leader is likely to gobble it up.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Any second, surely, Dad’s tan Mercedes would glide into view and start its rumbling, lumbering ascent up the gravel drive.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
Its creators, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, Frankensteined the series by stitching together two moribund TV genres—the mockumentary sitcom and the prank show—to construct something new, if still lumbering.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard.
—Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
The only real midrange comes from what sounds like inclement weather or the occasional distant, lumbering percussion.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
The North Atlantic right whale, Latin name Eubalaena glacialis, is one of three species of the lumbering giants.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
So, the lumbering maw that is our leader is likely to gobble it up.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbering
Adjective
-
With almost no plan, Sonny makes a shambling attempt at an armed robbery, only to end up trapped in the bank with the manager and five female tellers as his hostages.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
-
One rarely gains a sense of what people look like (beyond the son’s bulky physique and shambling movements, in which the mother ‘caught a flash of her brother’).—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His jogging gait is a bit plodding.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
His two-time matchup was Alejandro Kirk, an excellent hitter but, at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, a plodding runner.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This is where the city stages its daily open-air show — street artists sketching portraits, fortune-tellers shuffling cards and musicians playing for appreciative crowds.—
Lauren Schuster,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Its elegant twill pattern is both durable for rigorous travel and premium-looking for serving looks at the airport, while its interior has an expandable compartment, one mesh pocket, and elastic tie-down straps to keep your belongings from shuffling around.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Garrett Mitchell lined a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Monday night, sending them to their eighth loss in nine games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
On March 22, Emily Holman posted a TikTok video about her and her 18-year-old sister, Martha, stumbling upon a jean jacket that was hand-painted and gifted to a friend for Christmas.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Or perhaps he is known less by image and more as a disembodied voice, glitching his way across vintage Kanye tracks and rumbling words of self-pity opposite Taylor Swift.—
Mitch Therieau,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
-
During my most recent visit in 2025, my family and I spent time driving around on the mostly one-lane highway, through the hills and valleys of the six volcanoes that lie rumbling underneath the island.—
Emily Adler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If your entire evening is spent on a ball field or on the go, loading food up and taking it with you is another practical option.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
On the day of our visit, the South Korean tanker SK Audace was loading cargo, hooked up to pipes so cold they were covered in a thick layer of frost despite the balmy bayou weather.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the outsized headline figure, there were further indications that the job market remains wobbly.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Also helping out on Wednesday were Paul Goldschmidt, who clubbed a three-run homer off George Kirby in the sixth inning, and Ben Rice, who smoked a solo shot in the ninth after and before some wobbly work from Yankees relievers Camilo Doval and David Bednar.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The compact electromagnetic launcher features a 12-inch barrel and is light enough to be comfortably held and operated with one hand, allowing for greater mobility and ease of use in tight or urban environments where traditional firearms or larger coil guns would be cumbersome.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The researchers received the feedback in a meeting with FDA reviewers to discuss a potential study of custom treatments using prime editors, a more complex and cumbersome gene editing technology that can treat a much wider range of genetic misspellings.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbering. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
