fumble

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: fum=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

fumble, v. i. [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.].

•  To feel or grope about; to make awkward attempts to do or find something.  [1913 Webster]

  "Adams now began to fumble in his pockets."  [1913 Webster]
•  To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly; as, to fumble for an excuse.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

  "My understanding flutters and my memory fumbles."  [1913 Webster]

  "Alas! how he fumbles about the domains."  [1913 Webster]
•  To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.  [1913 Webster]

  "I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with flowers."  [1913 Webster]

fumble, v. t. 

 To handle or manage awkwardly; to crowd or tumble together.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

fumble, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. (often foll. by at, with, for, after) use the hands awkwardly, grope about.
2 tr. a handle or deal with clumsily or nervously. b Sport fail to stop (a ball) cleanly.
--n. an act of fumbling.

Derivative

fumbler n. fumblingly adv.

Etymology

LG fummeln, fommeln, Du. fommelen

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

fumble

Derangement

VB derange, disarrange, misarrange, displace, misplace, mislay, discompose, disorder, deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize, embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble, shuffle, randomize, huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot, bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder, muss, break the ranks, disconcert, convulse, break in upon, unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear, turn topsy-turvy, bedevil, complicate, involve, perplex, confound, imbrangle, embrangle, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle, dishevel, ruffle, rumple, litter, scatter, mix, rearrange.

Unskillfulness

VB be unskillful, not see an inch beyond one's nose, blunder, bungle, boggle, fumble, botch, bitch, flounder, stumble, trip, hobble, put one's foot in it, make a mess of, make hash of, make sad work of, overshoot the mark, play tricks with, play Puck, mismanage, misconduct, misdirect, misapply, missend, stultify oneself, make a fool of oneself, commit oneself, act foolishly, play the fool, put oneself out of court, lose control, lose control of oneself, lose one's head, lose one's cunning, begin at the wrong end, do things by halves, make two bites of a cherry, play at cross purposes, strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, put the cart before the horse, lock the stable door when the horse is stolen, not know what one is about, not know one's own interest, not know on which side one's bread is buttered, stand in one's own light, quarrel with one's bread and butter, throw a stone in one's own garden, kill the goose which lays the golden eggs, pay dear for one's whistle, cut one's own throat, bum one's fingers, knock one's head against a stone wall, beat one's head against a stone wall, fall into a trap, catch a Tartar, bring the house about one's ears, have too many eggs in one basket (imprudent), have too many irons in the fire, mistake, take the shadow for the substance, bark up the wrong tree, be in the wrong box, aim at a pigeon and kill a crow, take the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong sow by the ear, get the dirty end of the stick, put the saddle on the wrong horse, put a square peg into a round hole, put new wine into old bottles, cut blocks with a razor, hold a farthing candle to the sun, fight with a shadow, grasp at a shadow, catch at straws, lean on a broken reed, reckon without one's host, pursue a wild goose chase, go on a fool's goose chase, sleeveless errand, go further and fare worse, lose one's way, miss one's way, fail.

Touch

VB touch, feel, handle, finger, thumb, paw, fumble, grope, grabble, twiddle, tweedle, pass the fingers over, run the fingers over, manipulate, wield, throw out a feeler.

Experiment

VB experiment, essay, try, try out, assay, make an experiment, make a trial of, give a trial to, put on trial, subject to trial, experiment upon, rehearse, put to the test, bring to the test, submit to the test, submit to the proof, prove, verify, test, touch, practice upon, try one's strength, road-test, test drive, take for a spin, test fly, grope, feel one's way, grope for one's way, fumble, t=atonner, aller =a t=atons, put out a feeler, throw out a feeler, send up a trial balloon, send up a pilot balloon, see how the land lies, get the lay of the land, test the waters, feel out, sound out, take the pulse, see, check, check out, see how the wind blows, consult the barometer, feel the pulse, fish for, bob for, cast for, beat about for, angle, trawl, cast one's net, beat the bushes, try one's fortune, explore.