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stumble

noun
🔊/ˈstʌmbl/
🔊/ˈstʌmbl/
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  1. (informal) a problem or temporary failure when you are on the way to achieving something
    • There were good reasons for the team's first-round stumble against Los Angeles.球队首轮对阵洛杉矶的失败有充分的理由。
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
  2. an act of falling or almost falling, especially because you hit your foot against something
    • After a slight stumble backwards, he regained his balance.向后稍微跌倒后，他恢复了平衡。
  3. a mistake that causes you to stop when you are reading, speaking or playing music（不顺畅地）说，读，演奏
    • verbal stumbles言语失误

stumble

verb
 
🔊/ˈstʌmbl/
🔊/ˈstʌmbl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they stumble
🔊/ˈstʌmbl/
🔊/ˈstʌmbl/
he / she / it stumbles
🔊/ˈstʌmblz/
🔊/ˈstʌmblz/
past simple stumbled
🔊/ˈstʌmbld/
🔊/ˈstʌmbld/
past participle stumbled
🔊/ˈstʌmbld/
🔊/ˈstʌmbld/
-ing form stumbling
🔊/ˈstʌmblɪŋ/
🔊/ˈstʌmblɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1.  
    [intransitive] to hit your foot against something while you are walking or running and almost fall绊脚 synonym trip
    • The child stumbled and fell.孩子绊了一下，摔倒了。🔊🔊
    • stumble over/on something I stumbled over a rock.我在石头上绊了一下。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • She stumbled a little on the uneven path.她在崎岖不平的小路上蹒跚而行。
    • (figurative) The economy stumbled badly at the end of 2000.经济在 2000 年末跌了个大跟头。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • nearly
    • a little
    • …
    preposition
    • down
    • from
    • into
    • …
    phrases
    • stumble over the/​your words
    • stumble to your feet
    adverb
    • accidentally
    • by chance
    • unwittingly
    • …
    See full entry
  2. [intransitive] + adv./prep. to walk or move in an unsteady way跌跌撞撞地走；蹒跚而行
    • Max stumbled out of bed sleepily.麦克斯昏昏欲睡地跌了床。
    • We were stumbling around in the dark looking for a candle.黑暗中，我们东跌西撞地找蜡烛。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • The old man stumbled out into the night.老人跌跌撞撞地走到深夜。
    • He stumbled drunkenly across the road.他醉酒地跌倒在马路对面。
    • Half asleep, she stumbled into the bathroom.她睡着了一半，跌跌撞撞地走进了浴室。
    • They stumbled over the field.他们深一脚浅一脚地走过田野。
    • The train stopped, and several passengers stumbled to their feet.火车停了，几名乘客摇摇晃晃地地站起身来。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • nearly
    • a little
    • …
    preposition
    • down
    • from
    • into
    • …
    phrases
    • stumble over the/​your words
    • stumble to your feet
    adverb
    • accidentally
    • by chance
    • unwittingly
    • …
    See full entry
  3. [intransitive] stumble (over/through something) to make a mistake or mistakes and stop while you are speaking, reading to somebody or playing music（不顺畅地）说，读，演奏
    • In her nervousness she stumbled over her words.她因紧张说话结结巴巴的。🔊🔊
    • I stumbled through the piano piece with difficulty.我断断续续地好不容易弹完了那支钢琴曲。🔊🔊
    Topics Languagec2
    4. Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb): from Old Norse, from the Germanic base of stammer.