fumble

UK: /ˈfʌmb^əl/ US: /ˈfʌmbəl/ ,(fum′bəl)

Inflections of 'fumble' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

fumbles

v 3rd person singular

fumbling

v pres p

fumbled

v past

fumbled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

fum•ble /ˈfʌmbəl/   v., -bled, -bling, n. 
v. 

1. to feel or grope about clumsily:
   [no object] He fumbled in his pocket for the keys.
2. Sport to fail to hold a ball after having touched it or carried it, such as in a baseball or football game: [no object]
   He has a reputation for fumbling in crucial situations.
   [~ + object]
   fumbled the ball.
3. to do (something) clumsily or unsuccessfully;
   blunder: [no object]
   He fumbled for an answer.
   [~ + object]
   They fumbled an attempt to rescue the hostages.

n. [countable]

4. an act or instance of fumbling.

fum•bler, n. [countable]
fum•bling•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fum•ble  (fum′bəl), v., -bled, -bling, n. 
v.i. 

1. to feel or grope about clumsily:
   She fumbled in her purse for the keys.
2. Sport to fumble the ball.

v.t. 

3. to make, handle, etc., clumsily or inefficiently:
   to fumble an attempt; He fumbled his way through the crowded room.
4. Sport to fail to hold or maintain hold on (a ball) after having touched it or carried it.

n. 

5. the act of fumbling:
   We completed the difficult experiment without a fumble.
6. Sport an act or instance of fumbling the ball.

• akin to Norwegian, Swedish fumla, Middle Low German fummeln to grope, fumble 1500–10

fum′bler, n. 
fum′bling•ly, adv. 
fum′bling•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 3. bungle, botch, mishandle, spoil, muff.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

fumble / ˈfʌmb^əl/ verb

1. (intr; often followed by for or with) to grope about clumsily or blindly, esp in searching
2. (intr; followed by at or with) to finger or play with, esp in an absent-minded way
3. to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly: he fumbled the introduction badly
4. to fail to catch or grasp (a ball, etc) cleanly

noun

1. the act of fumbling

Etymology: 16th Century: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish fumla

ˈfumbler noun

ˈfumblingly adverb