Fumble \Fum"ble\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fumbled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fumbling.]
[Akin to D. fommelen to crumple, fumble, Sw.
fumla to fusuble, famla to grope, Dan. famle to grope,
fumble, Icel. falme, AS. folm palm of the hand. See Feel,
and cf. Fanble, Palm.]
1. To feel or grope about; to make awkward attempts to do or
find something.
[1913 Webster]
Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.
--Fielding.
[1913 Webster]
2. To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly; as, to
fumble for an excuse. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
My understanding flutters and my memory fumbles.
--Chesterfield.
[1913 Webster]
Alas! how he fumbles about the domains.
--Wordsworth.
[1913 Webster]
3. To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
[1913 Webster]
I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with
flowers. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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87 Moby Thesaurus words for "fumble":
bad job, ball up, be all thumbs, beat about, bevue, blow, blunder,
blunder away, blunder into, blunder on, blunder upon, bobble,
boggle, bollix, bollix up, bonehead play, boner, boo-boo, botch,
bumble, bungle, butcher, clumsy performance, commit a gaffe,
confound, confuse, drop, error, etourderie, faux pas, feel,
feel around, feel for, flounder, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up,
garble, gaucherie, goof up, grabble, grope, grope for, grump, hash,
jumble, louse up, lumber, mar, mess, miscue, mishandle, mistake,
mix up, mop, mouth, mow, muck up, muddle, muff, mug, murder,
murmur, mutter, off day, pet, pi, play havoc with, play hob with,
poke around, pout, pry around, riffle, sad work, scrabble,
scramble, screw up, shuffle, slip, snafu, snarl up, spoil, stumble,
swallow, trip, tumble
Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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Fumble \Fum"ble\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fumbled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fumbling.]
[Akin to D. fommelen to crumple, fumble, Sw.
fumla to fusuble, famla to grope, Dan. famle to grope,
fumble, Icel. falme, AS. folm palm of the hand. See Feel,
and cf. Fanble, Palm.]
1. To feel or grope about; to make awkward attempts to do or
find something.
Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.
--Fielding.
2. To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly; as, to
fumble for an excuse. --Dryden.
My understanding flutters and my memory fumbles.
--Chesterfield.
Alas! how he fumbles about the domains.
--Wordsworth.
3. To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with
flowers. --Shak.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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