stumble
gb/stˈʌmbəl/ us/stˈʌmbəl/
A2
English
~ 1300
megbotlik, akadozik, belezavarodik, rábukkan, botlás
VERB
A2
1
megbotlik
B1
Usage pattern:
to stumble [over/on something]
She stumbled on the uneven pavement.
Megbotlott az egyenetlen járdán.
He stumbled over a tree root in the dark.
Megbotlott egy fagyökérben a sötétben.
I stumbled on the stairs but caught myself on the railing.
Learner examples
I stumbled on the stone.
Megbotlottam a kőben.
He stumbled on the stairs.
Megbotlott a lépcsőn.
She stumbled over the bag.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'stumble' with 'fall', but 'stumble' means you almost fall or lose balance briefly, not necessarily ending on the ground.
Meaning
Trip or lose balance while moving
Collocations
stumble over a rock
|stumble on the stairs
|nearly stumble
|stumble badly
Synonyms
trip (More common for catching a foot on something; very close in meaning.)
Antonyms
stride (Describes walking with long, confident steps, the opposite of stumbling physically.)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To trip or almost fall while walking or running.
To trip or momentarily lose one's balance while walking or running, often causing a brief interruption in movement.
VERB
B1
2
akadozik
B2
Usage pattern:
to stumble [over/through words]
He stumbled over his words during the interview.
Akadozva beszélt az interjú alatt.
She stumbled through her presentation but managed to finish.
Akadozva tartotta meg az előadását, de sikerült befejeznie.
I often stumble when reading aloud quickly.
Learner examples
I stumbled over my words.
Belezavarodtam a szavaimba.
He stumbled in his speech.
Akadozott a beszéde.
She stumbled through the story.
Common mistake:
Some learners think this only refers to physical movement, but it can also mean making verbal or performance mistakes.
Meaning
Hesitate or err in speech or performance
Collocations
stumble over words
|stumble through a speech
|stumble badly
Synonyms
hesitate (Implies pausing due to uncertainty; less about actual mistakes.)
Antonyms
articulate (To speak clearly and fluently without errors.)
Themes
communication
|performance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To stop for a moment or make a mistake while speaking or doing something.
To pause awkwardly, make a mistake, or lose fluency while speaking, reading aloud, or performing an action.
VERB
B1
3
rábukkan
B2
Usage pattern:
to stumble upon/across [something]
I stumbled upon an old diary in the attic.
Véletlenül rábukkantam egy régi naplóra a padláson.
They stumbled across a beautiful café while exploring the city.
A várost felfedezve rábukkantak egy gyönyörű kávézóra.
We stumbled upon some rare coins during our hike.
Learner examples
I stumbled upon a good book.
Rábukkantam egy jó könyvre.
She stumbled across a nice park.
Rábukkant egy szép parkra.
They stumbled upon an old photo.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'stumble upon' with 'trip over'; here it means to find something unexpectedly, not to lose balance.
Meaning
Find something unexpectedly while moving
Collocations
stumble upon a secret
|stumble across a book
|stumble upon evidence
Synonyms
come across (Very close in meaning; more general and not limited to movement.)
Antonyms
search for (The opposite of finding by accident is looking for something on purpose.)
Themes
discovery
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To find something by accident when you are moving around.
To discover or encounter something by chance while walking or moving around.
NOUN
A2
4
botlás
B2
After a slight stumble, she kept running.
Egy kisebb botlás után tovább futott.
His stumble on the track cost him the race.
A futópályán történt botlása miatt elveszítette a versenyt.
A loose cable caused my stumble.
Learner examples
She had a small stumble.
Egy kisebbet botlott.
I saw his stumble on the stairs.
Láttam, amikor megbotlott a lépcsőn.
He recovered after a stumble.
Meaning
An act of tripping or losing balance
Collocations
a slight stumble
|recover from a stumble
|cause a stumble
Synonyms
trip (Very close meaning; often interchangeable for physical movement.)
Antonyms
stride (A smooth, confident step without interruption.)
Themes
movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A short moment when you trip or almost fall while walking or running.
An instance of tripping or momentarily losing one's balance while moving on foot.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stumble
IPA
GB/stˈʌmbəl/
US/stˈʌmbəl/
Syllables & stress
stumble (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (stumble)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: stumble
- Plural: stumbles
Verb
- Base: stumble
- 3rd Person Singular: stumbles
- Present Participle: stumbling
- Past: stumbled
Word family
Forms
stumbles
noun
stumbling
verb
stumbled
verb
Related words
trip
verb A1
Expressions
stumble across
1/stˈʌmbəl əkɹˈɔs/
phrasal verb
Come across something unexpectedly while moving
To find something by chance when you are walking or moving around.
Examples
- We stumbled across an antique shop in the village.
- He stumbled across a solution while testing the program.
stumble into
1/stˈʌmbəl ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
Get involved in something unexpectedly
To start doing something or be in a situation without planning it.
Examples
- She stumbled into a career in design after helping a friend.
- They stumbled into trouble when they took the wrong path.
stumble upon
1/stˈʌmbəl əpˈɑn/
phrasal verb
Find something unexpectedly while moving
To find something by chance when you are moving around.
Examples
- I stumbled upon a great little restaurant last night.
- While cleaning, she stumbled upon some old letters.