stumble

Pronunciation: /ˈstʌmbəl/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an unsteady uneven gait
  2. noun an unintentional but embarrassing blunder
  3. verb walk unsteadily

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stam- (“to trip up; to stammer, stutter”), thereby related to German stumm (“mute”), Dutch stom (“dumb”). Doublet of stammer. Also related to verb in Dutch stommelen (“to walk silently”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

lurch, stagger

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
gait

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