stumble: Meaning and Definition of

stum•ble

1. to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.
2. to walk or go unsteadily: to stumble down a dark passage.
3. to make a slip, mistake, or blunder, esp. a sinful one: to stumble over a question; to stumble and fall from grace.
4. to proceed in a hesitating or blundering manner, as in action or speech (often fol. by along).
5. to discover or meet with accidentally or unexpectedly (usually fol. by on, upon, or across): They stumbled on a little village.
6. to falter or hesitate, as at an obstacle to progress or belief.

1. to cause to stumble; trip.
2. to give pause to; puzzle or perplex.

1. the act of stumbling.
2. a moral lapse or error.
3. a slip or blunder.