different between bungle vs fumble

English

Etymology

From Old Norse, akin to Swedish dialect bangla (“to work ineffectually”), from Old Swedish bunga (“to strike”). Compare German Bengel (“cudgel; rude fellow”), Middle High German bungen (“to hammer”).

The noun derives from the verb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b??.?(?)l/
• Rhymes: -????l

Verb

bungle (third-person singular simple present bungles, present participle bungling, simple past and past participle bungled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To botch up, bumble or incompetently perform a task; to make or mend clumsily; to manage awkwardly.
   • 1821, February 25th, Byron, quoted from Letters and Journals of Lord Byron:

     I always had an idea that it would be bungled; but was willing to hope, and am still so. Whatever I can do by money, means, or person, I will venture freely for their freedom; […]

   • 1853, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, Chapter 49:

     His hand shakes, he is nervous, and it falls off. “Would any one believe this?” says he, catching it as it drops and looking round. “I am so out of sorts that I bungle at an easy job like this!”

   • 2014, Paul Doyle, "Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian, 18 October 2014:

     There was a whiff of farce about Southampton’s second goal too, as, six minutes later, a bungled Sunderland pass ricocheted off Will Buckley’s backside to the feet of Dusan Tadic.

Synonyms

See Thesaurus:spoil

Derived terms

• bungler
• bungling
• bunglesome

Translations

Noun

bungle (plural bungles)

1. A botched or incompetently handled situation.
   • 1888, Henry Lawson, United Division:

     The Soudan bungle was born partly of sentimental loyalty and partly of the aforementioned jealousy existing between the colonies, and now at a time when the colonies should club closer together our Government is doing all they can to widen the breach by trying to pass a bill enabling New South Wales to monopolise the name “Australia”.

Anagrams

• blunge

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?mb?l/

• Rhymes: -?mb?l

Etymology 1

Late Middle English, from Low German fommeln or Dutch fommelen.

Or, perhaps from a Scandinavian/North Germanic source; compare Old Norse fálma, Swedish fumla, Danish fumle, German fummeln.

The ultimate origin for either could perhaps be imitative of fumbling. Or, from Proto-Indo-European *pal- (“to shake, swing”), see also Latin palpo (“I pat, touch softly”), and possibly Proto-West Germanic *f?lijan (“to feel”).

Verb

fumble (third-person singular simple present fumbles, present participle fumbling, simple past and past participle fumbled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To handle nervously or awkwardly.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To grope awkwardly in trying to find something
   • 1742, Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews

     Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.}}

3. (intransitive) To blunder uncertainly.

4. To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly.
5. (transitive, intransitive, sports) To drop a ball or a baton etc. by accident.
6. To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.

Synonyms

• (grope awkwardly): grubble, poke; see also Thesaurus:feel around

Translations

Noun

fumble (plural fumbles)

1. (sports, American football, Canadian football) A ball etc. that has been dropped by accident.

Translations

Etymology 2

Blend of fool +? crumble.

Noun

fumble (plural fumbles)

1. (Britain) A dessert similar to a cross between a fool and a crumble.

Further reading

• fumble on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References