WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
blun•der /ˈblʌndɚ/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- [countable]
- a stupid mistake:One of his first blunders was to make fun of the teacher's name.
v. [no object]
- to move or act clumsily or stupidly: [~ + into]:We blundered into the wrong room.[~ + along]We blundered along down the road.
- to make a mistake, esp. through carelessness or confusion:We blundered when we tried to take a shortcut.
blun•der
(blun′dər),USA pronunciation n.
v.i.
v.t.
blun′der•er, n.
blun′der•ing•ly, adv.
- a gross, stupid, or careless mistake:That's your second blunder this morning.
v.i.
- to move or act blindly, stupidly, or without direction or steady guidance:Without my glasses I blundered into the wrong room.
- to make a gross or stupid mistake, esp. through carelessness or mental confusion:Just pray that he doesn't blunder again and get the names wrong.
v.t.
- to bungle;
botch:Several of the accounts were blundered by that new assistant. - to utter thoughtlessly;
blurt out:He blundered his surprise at their winning the award.
- Old Norse blunda shut one's eyes, nap; compare Norwegian dialect, dialectal blundra
- Middle English blunderen blondren, (verb, verbal) 1350–1400
blun′der•ing•ly, adv.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged error. See mistake.
'blunderer' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):