Library / English Dictionary

FUMBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(sports) dropping the ball

Synonyms:

fumble; muff

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("fumble" is a kind of...):

bloomer; blooper; blunder; boner; boo-boo; botch; bungle; flub; foul-up; fuckup; pratfall (an embarrassing mistake)

Domain category:

American football; American football game (a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays)

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Derivation:

fumble (drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder

Example:

fumble a grounder

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

play (participate in games or sport)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

fumble ((sports) dropping the ball)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Handle clumsily

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

handle; palm (touch, lift, or hold with the hands)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Feel about uncertainly or blindly

Example:

She groped for her glasses in the darkness of the bedroom

Synonyms:

fumble; grope

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

look for; search; seek (try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make one's way clumsily or blindly

Example:

He fumbled towards the door

Synonyms:

blunder; fumble

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

pass (go across or through)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make a mess of, destroy or ruin

Example:

the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement

Synonyms:

ball up; blow; bobble; bodge; bollix; bollix up; bollocks; bollocks up; botch; botch up; bumble; bungle; flub; fluff; foul up; fuck up; fumble; louse up; mess up; mishandle; muck up; muff; screw up; spoil

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):

fail; go wrong; miscarry (be unsuccessful)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

fumbler (someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Harrison fumbled in his mouth with his finger and thumb, and then with a sharp half-turn he wrenched out a tooth, which he threw into the basin.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He only said: "You shall see," and again fumbling in his bag, took out a tiny fret-saw.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

"What do you like to talk about?" she asked, fumbling over the cards and dropping half as she tried to tie them up.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He pulled out his watch, and after some fumbling got it back into the breast pocket of his thick woollen jacket.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

He fumbled for the knob and entered a lighted room, where sat his sister and Bernard Higginbotham.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I found her fumbling at the wall of the after bulkhead, and, half leading her, half carrying her, I took her up the companion-way.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

After fumbling about for a bit he tried a second, and then a third.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Three times the hand essayed to write but fumbled hopelessly.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was a fumbling and a scratching of matches, and the sea-lamp flared up, dim and smoky, and in its weird light bare-legged men moved about nursing their bruises and caring for their hurts.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

"Oh, it isn't about that. At least—" He fumbled with a series of beginnings. "Why, I thought—why, look here, old sport, you don't make much money, do you?"

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)