Bumbling - English meaning

adjective

Done in an unskilful or inept way.

Usage examples:

Her amateurish interviewing technique

adjective

Performed without much skill

Usage examples:

The movie drags along, made even worse by amateurish acting.

adjective

Having no skill, or showing no skill

Usage examples:

Their website looks amateurish.

verb

Talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way.

Usage examples:

They babbled on about their holiday

noun

(of a flowing water) make a continuous murmuring sound.

Usage examples:

The shallow river babbled over smooth rocks

combining form

Forming nouns denoting confusing or pretentious jargon, especially that characteristic of a particular field or group.

Usage examples:

Psychobabble

verb

Talk in a long-winded way without making very much sense.

Usage examples:

She began blathering on about spirituality and life after death

noun

Long-winded talk with no real substance.

Usage examples:

All the blather coming out of washington about crime

verb

To talk for a long time in a silly or annoying way

Usage examples:

What on earth are you blathering on about?, stop blathering, woman!

noun

A stupid or careless mistake.

Usage examples:

She stopped, finally aware of the terrible blunder she had made

verb

Make a stupid or careless mistake; act or speak clumsily.

Usage examples:

He knew he'd blundered

noun

A big mistake, especially one resulting from a lack of care or thought

Usage examples:

His failure to respond immediately to the accusations was a major political blunder., he feared he …

adjective

Making or characterized by stupid or careless mistakes; clumsy.

Usage examples:

Both her parents are supportive, if a bit blundering

verb

Make a stupid or careless mistake; act or speak clumsily.

Usage examples:

He knew he'd blundered

adjective

Often making serious mistakes, usually because of not taking care

Usage examples:

You blundering idiot! what do you think you're doing?, a blundering firebomber is being hunted by p…

noun

The action or fact of carrying out a task clumsily or incompetently.

Usage examples:

He was heavily criticized for his bungling of the case

adjective

Making or characterized by many clumsy mistakes.

Usage examples:

The work of a bungling amateur

verb

Carry out (a task) clumsily or incompetently.

Usage examples:

He bungled his first attempt to manage a group of professional players

verb

Make a continuous murmuring noise.

Usage examples:

A stream burbled through the woods

noun

Continuous murmuring noise.

Usage examples:

The steady burble of running water

verb

To make a low, continuous bubbling sound, like water moving over stones

Usage examples:

She was burbling (on) about what she'd do if she won the lottery.

noun

Nonsense.

Usage examples:

Don't talk such drivel!

verb

Talk nonsense.

Usage examples:

He was drivelling on about the glory days

noun

Something written or said that is completely worthless; nonsense

Usage examples:

The papers are filled with drivel about movie stars.

verb

Lose strength or momentum.

Usage examples:

The music faltered, stopped, and started up again

verb

Move hesitatingly, as if about to give way

verb

To lose strength or purpose and pause or stop

Usage examples:

His career began to falter., faltering speech

verb

Struggle or stagger clumsily in mud or water.

Usage examples:

He was floundering about in the shallow offshore waters

noun

A small flatfish that typically occurs in shallow coastal water.

Usage examples:

The study was spurred by previous observations of feminization in estuarine fish, particularly the …

verb

Move clumsily or struggle to move, as in mud or water

verb

Speak rapidly and unintelligibly, typically through fear or shock.

Usage examples:

They shrieked and gibbered as flames surrounded them

noun

A stone or boulder forming part of a boulder plain.

Usage examples:

We're standing on a desert rise six kilometres north of town overlooking a sea of shining gibbers.

verb

To speak quickly in a way that cannot be understood, usually when you are very frightened or confused

Usage examples:

Stop gibbering, man, and tell us what you saw.

adjective

Not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully.

Usage examples:

A forgetful and utterly incompetent assistant

noun

An incompetent person.

Usage examples:

The tanker captain was a known incompetent

adjective

Lacking the skills or knowledge to do a job or perform an action correctly or to a satisfactory standard

Usage examples:

Cowden was incompetent and incapable of administering the duties of secretary of the association., …

adjective

Having or showing no skill; clumsy.

Usage examples:

The referee's inept handling of the match

adjective

Not skilled or effective

Usage examples:

He was always pretty inept at sports., political/social/economic ineptitude

adjective

Having or showing a lack of skill or knowledge.

Usage examples:

An inexpert transcription from the real music

adjective

Having little skill

Usage examples:

She had made an inexpert attempt to repair the car.

verb

Move in a slow, heavy, awkward way.

Usage examples:

A truck lumbered past

noun

Articles of furniture or other household items that are no longer useful and inconveniently take up storage space.

Usage examples:

A lumber room

verb

Burden (someone) with something unwanted.

Usage examples:

The banks do not want to be lumbered with a building that they cannot sell

verb

Make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement or series of movements; stagger.

Usage examples:

The car lurched forward

noun

An abrupt uncontrolled movement, especially an unsteady tilt or roll.

Usage examples:

The boat gave a violent lurch and he missed his footing

verb

Move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements

verb

Bring into a disordered or confusing state.

Usage examples:

I fear he may have muddled the message

noun

An untidy and disorganized state or collection.

Usage examples:

The finances were in a muddle

noun

A messy and confused state

Usage examples:

Her life was in a muddle.

verb

Say something indistinctly and quietly, making it difficult for others to hear.

Usage examples:

He mumbled something she didn't catch

noun

A quiet and indistinct utterance.

Usage examples:

Rosie had replied in a mumble

verb

Talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

verb

Say something in a low or barely audible voice, especially in dissatisfaction or irritation.

Usage examples:

He muttered something under his breath

noun

A barely audible utterance, especially one expressing dissatisfaction or irritation.

Usage examples:

A little mutter of disgust

verb

To speak quietly and in a voice that is not easy to hear, often when you are anxious or complaining about something

Usage examples:

[ i ] he muttered to himself as he walked., [ t ] i heard him mutter something., "there has to be a…

noun

The quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.

Usage examples:

Her voice rose steadily in pitch

verb

Set (one's voice or a piece of music) at a particular pitch.

Usage examples:

You've pitched the melody very high

verb

Cover, coat, or smear with pitch.

Usage examples:

He pitched the ship inside and outside

verb

Walk for pleasure in the countryside.

Usage examples:

I spent most of my spare time rambling and climbing

noun

A walk taken for pleasure in the countryside.

Usage examples:

Based at 18 excellent country houses, they have a wide choice of walks from gentle rambles to adven…

verb

To walk for pleasure, esp. in the countryside

Usage examples:

I love to ramble through the woods., it was hard to listen to her ramble on and on about her vacati…

noun

A cylinder on which film, wire, thread, or other flexible materials can be wound.

Usage examples:

A cotton reel

verb

Wind something on to a reel by turning the reel.

Usage examples:

Sailplanes are often launched by means of a wire reeled in by a winch

verb

A winder around which flexible materials can be wound

verb

(of a person) move with a slow, shuffling, awkward gait.

Usage examples:

He shambled off down the corridor

noun

A slow, shuffling, awkward gait.

Usage examples:

They walked, side by side, in a slow shamble

verb

To walk slowly and awkwardly, without lifting your feet correctly

Usage examples:

Sick patients shambled along the hospital corridors., he was a strange, shambling figure.

verb

Walk by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground.

Usage examples:

I stepped into my skis and shuffled to the edge of the steep slope

noun

A shuffling movement, walk, or sound.

Usage examples:

There was a shuffle of approaching feet

verb

To walk by sliding your feet, rather than lifting them as you step

Usage examples:

[ i always + adv/prep ] grandfather shuffled into the kitchen, leaning on his cane., [ t ] when i a…

verb

Move clumsily or with great effort.

Usage examples:

I sprauchled about with my bucket and spade

verb

Walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall.

Usage examples:

He staggered to his feet, swaying a little

noun

An unsteady walk or movement.

Usage examples:

She walked with a stagger

verb

Walk with great difficulty

verb

Trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall.

Usage examples:

Her foot caught in the rug and she stumbled

noun

An act of stumbling.

Usage examples:

He broke a bone in his foot in a stumble down an alpine pass

verb

Miss a step and fall or nearly fall

verb

Move or balance unsteadily; sway back and forth.

Usage examples:

She teetered after him in her high-heeled sandals

verb

To appear to be about to fall while moving or standing

Usage examples:

They teetered around the room like two toddlers, helpless with laughter., fig. the city is teeterin…

verb

Move in a feeble or unsteady way.

Usage examples:

A hunched figure was tottering down the path

noun

A feeble or unsteady gait.

Usage examples:

You may say that none of this sounds like a leap forward, more like a totter backwards.

noun

A person who makes a living by salvaging saleable items from dustbins or rubbish heaps.

Usage examples:

Coney street in york was a totter's paradise on tuesday morning

adjective

Not having or showing skill.

Usage examples:

Though kind and willing, she was unskilful

adjective

Not good at doing something, or lacking skills generally

Usage examples:

Unfortunately, they made a couple of unskilful moves that played directly into the hands of their o…

verb

Form (fabric or a fabric item) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them.

Usage examples:

Textiles woven from linen or wool

noun

A particular style or manner in which something is woven.

Usage examples:

Cloth of a very fine weave

verb

Twist and turn from side to side while moving somewhere in order to avoid obstructions.

Usage examples:

He had to weave his way through the crowds

verb

Move or cause to move unsteadily from side to side.

Usage examples:

The table wobbles where the leg is too short

noun

An unsteady movement from side to side.

Usage examples:

The handlebars developed a wobble

verb

To shake or move from side to side in a way that shows a lack of balance, or to cause something to do this

Usage examples:

[ i ] the table wobbles because its legs are uneven.