What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Bumbled vs Fumbled - What's the difference?

bumbled | fumbled |

As verbs the difference between bumbled and fumbled

is that bumbled is past tense of bumble while fumbled is past tense of fumble.

bumbled

English

Verb

(head)
  • (bumble)

  • bumble

    English

    Etymology 1

    Onomatopoeia. English onomatopoeias Compare bungle, jumble, and fumble.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A confusion, jumble.
  • Verb

    (bumbl)
  • To act in an inept, clumsy or inexpert manner; to make mistakes.
  • Spiders build webs and wait for insects to bumble into them.

    Derived terms

    * Bumblefuck

    Etymology 2

    * Noun: From the verb. * Verb: Frequentative of boom'' and/or ''bum , equivalent to .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A bumble-bee.
  • (UK, dialect) The bittern.
  • Verb

    (bumbl)
  • To boom, as a bittern; to buzz, as a fly.
  • fumbled

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (fumble)

  • fumble

    English

    Verb

    (fumbl)
  • (intransitive) To idly touch or nervously handle
  • Waiting for the interview, he fumbled with his tie.
    He fumbled the key into the lock.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2010 , date=December 28 , author=Owen Phillips , title=Sunderland 0 - 2 Blackpool , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Henderson's best strike on goal saw goalkeeper Kingson uncomfortably fumble his measured shot around the post.}}
  • (intransitive) To grope awkwardly in trying to find something
  • He fumbled for his keys.
    He fumbled his way to the light-switch.
  • * Fielding
  • Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.
  • To blunder uncertainly.
  • He fumbled through his prepared speech.
  • To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly.
  • to fumble for an excuse
  • * Chesterfield
  • My understanding flutters and my memory fumbles .
  • * Wordsworth
  • Alas! how he fumbles about the domains.
  • (transitive, intransitive, sports) To drop a ball or a baton etc.
  • To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
  • * Shakespeare
  • I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with flowers.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (sports) A ball etc. that has been dropped