MEANING
1. To handle or attempt something clumsily or uncertainly.
2. To accidentally lose control of a ball while handling it.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- fumble for keys
- fumble with a latch
On the page
He fumbled for the latch in the darkness.
Word forms
- Base
- fumble
- Past tense
- fumbled
- Past participle
- fumbled
- Present participle
- fumbling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- fumble
- Present continuous
- am/is/are fumbling
- Present perfect
- have/has fumbled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been fumbling
- Past
- fumbled
- Past continuous
- was/were fumbling
- Past perfect
- had fumbled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been fumbling
- Future
- will fumble
- Future continuous
- will be fumbling
- Future perfect
- will have fumbled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been fumbling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: fumble; fumbles; fumbled; fumbled; fumbling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: fumbles.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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