Definition of stumble Stumble

/stʌˈmbʌl/ - [stumbul] - stum•ble

We found 18 definitions of stumble from 5 different sources.

What does stumble mean?

Verb stumbles, stumbling, stumbled
stumble - miss a step and fall or nearly fall; "She stumbled over the tree root"
		trip
		move go or proceed from one point to another; "the debate moved from family values to the economy"
		walk obtain a base on balls
		founder stumble and nearly fall; "the horses foundered"
stumble - make an error; "She slipped up and revealed the name"
		slip up, trip up
		err, mistake, slip to make a mistake or be incorrect
stumble - walk unsteadily; "The drunk man stumbled about"
		falter, bumble
		walk obtain a base on balls
stumble - encounter by chance; "I stumbled across a long-lost cousin last night in a restaurant"
		hit
		come into, come by obtain, especially accidentally

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stumble (v. i.)
To trip in walking or in moving in any way with the legs; to strike the foot so as to fall, or to endanger a fall; to stagger because of a false step.
stumble (v. i.)
To walk in an unsteady or clumsy manner.
stumble (v. i.)
To fall into a crime or an error; to err.
stumble (v. i.)
To strike or happen (upon a person or thing) without design; to fall or light by chance; -- with on, upon, or against.
stumble (v. t.)
To cause to stumble or trip.
stumble (v. t.)
Fig.: To mislead; to confound; to perplex; to cause to err or to fall.
stumble (n.)
A trip in walking or running.
stumble (n.)
A blunder; a failure; a fall from rectitude.

stumble
stum′bl, v.i. to strike the feet against something, to trip in walking: to light on by chance (with upon): to slide into crime or error.—v.t. to cause to trip or stop: to puzzle.—n. a trip in walking or running: a blunder: a failure.—ns. Stum′bler, one who stumbles; Stum′bling-block, -stone, a block or stone over which one would be likely to stumble: a cause of error.—adv. Stum′blingly.—adj. Stum′bly, apt to stumble. [Skeat explains the b as excrescent, the M. E. stomblen, stomelen, stumlen, also stomeren being from Ice. stumra, to stumble. It is thus a doublet of stammer.]