stumble

Stumble is a verb that primarily means to trip or momentarily lose balance while walking, often causing an unsteady step. It can also refer to moving forward awkwardly or with hesitation. The word can be used intransitively to describe one’s own motion or transitively to describe causing someone else to lose balance.

Physical stumbling is typically caused by uneven surfaces, obstacles, poor lighting, fatigue, footwear, or distraction. A stumble may result in a stumble’s consequences, ranging from a minor scrape to a fall or more serious injury. Repeated stumbles can indicate balance or gait issues, vision problems, or intoxication in some individuals, and may warrant caution or medical evaluation.

In figurative usage, stumble appears in several common expressions. To stumble upon something means to find it unexpectedly or by chance. A stumbling block denotes an obstacle that hinders progress or stops forward movement. To stumble in speech means to falter, hesitate, or speak awkwardly, and to stumble through a task means to perform it with difficulty and uncertainty.

The noun form stumble refers to the act itself or to an instance of losing balance. The present participle stumbling and the past tense stumbled are used for ongoing or completed actions, respectively. Stumble can appear in various contexts, from everyday walking to metaphorical discussions of errors or challenges.