stumble
/ˈstʌm.bəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstʌm.bəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstəm-bəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈstʌmbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstʌmbl/ (ame, ipa)
stumble — 動詞
- stumblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- stumbles3rd person singular
- stumbling-ing form
- stumbledpast simple
1. to accidentally put your foot down on an uneven surface or against an object, so
絆倒
走路時腳被東西絆到而跌倒
to accidentally put your foot down on an uneven surface or against an object, so that you lose your balance and tip forward
Pim stumbled on the loose paving stone and scraped his knee.
Pim 被路上鬆動的石板絆倒，膝蓋也擦傷了。
stumble + on [surface/object]
Shirin stumbled over a tree root in the dark forest and nearly fell.
Shirin 在漆黑的森林裡被樹根絆了一下，差點摔倒。
stumble + over [obstacle]
Sora stumbled as he got off the bus and grabbed the railing just in time.
Sora 下公車時絆了一下，及時抓住了扶手。
Running too fast on the wet floor, Amelia stumbled and fell hard.
Amelia 在濕滑的地板上跑太快，絆倒後重重摔了一跤。
A small toy on the stairs made Charlotte stumble and reach for the handrail.
Charlotte 踩到樓梯上的一個小玩具，絆了一下連忙抓住扶手。
- trip
more common when the fall happens because something catches your foot
- lose your balance
focuses on the loss of control rather than the obstacle
- keep your footing
opposite result — managing to walk steadily despite the obstacle
文法句型
stumble + on/over [object]
用法筆記
Often used with 'on' (stumble on a rock) or 'over' (stumble over a step). The object is usually an obstacle on the ground that you did not see.
常見錯誤
2. to move with a shaky, uncontrolled gait, as though about to fall over, often bec
蹣跚
走路不穩，搖搖晃晃
to move with a shaky, uncontrolled gait, as though about to fall over, often because you are exhausted, hurt, or sleepy
After the long hike, Tamas stumbled through the campsite before collapsing onto his bed.
經過長途健行後，Tamas 搖搖晃晃地穿過營地，然後癱倒在床上。
stumble + through [place] (moving across with difficulty)
The injured player stumbled off the field with help from the medical team.
受傷的球員在醫療團隊的攙扶下蹣跚地走下球場。
Otis stumbled along the dark hallway, still half-asleep and rubbing his eyes.
Otis 睡眼惺忪地沿著昏暗的走廊蹣跚而行，不斷揉著眼睛。
Amira stumbled into the kitchen at dawn, too tired to turn on the lights.
Amira 在黎明時分搖搖晃晃地走進廚房，累得連燈都懶得開。
- walk steadily
the opposite movement — controlled and balanced
文法句型
stumble + adverb of direction (along/into/through)
用法筆記
Emphasises the unsteady quality of the movement itself, rather than contact with an obstacle. Directional adverbs (along, into, through, across) are very common.
3. to make mistakes while speaking, such as repeating words, saying the wrong thing
結巴；失誤
說話或演奏時出現停頓或錯誤
to make mistakes while speaking, such as repeating words, saying the wrong thing, or pausing at awkward moments; also used for mistakes while playing music
Constanza stumbled over the pronunciation of the chemical name in class.
Constanza 在課堂上念那個化學名稱時結結巴巴的。
stumble + over [word/phrase] (a specific difficulty)
Gabriel stumbled several times during his wedding speech but the guests were kind.
Gabriel 在婚禮致詞時幾次說錯話，好在賓客們都很寬容。
The young pianist stumbled on a difficult section and had to restart the piece.
那位年輕的鋼琴家在一個困難的段落上出了錯，只好從頭來過。
Adisa felt nervous and stumbled through his presentation, mixing up important dates.
Adisa 因為緊張，整場簡報講得斷斷續續，還搞混了重要的日期。
- speak fluently
the opposite — smooth, confident speech without errors
文法句型
stumble + over [word/phrase]
stumble + through [speech/presentation]
用法筆記
Common with 'over' when referring to a specific word or name, and 'through' when the whole speech is affected. Both speaking and musical performance are valid contexts.
常見錯誤
4. to experience difficulties, make mistakes, or have a period of struggle while tr
犯錯；受阻
在過程中遇到困難或失誤
to experience difficulties, make mistakes, or have a period of struggle while trying to achieve something
The new company stumbled badly in its first year due to poor planning.
那家新公司因為規劃不周，第一年經營得很不順利。
Vikram stumbled on the final exam even though he had prepared for weeks.
Vikram 期末考表現不佳，儘管他已經準備了好幾個星期。
stumble + on [test/task] (to perform poorly at it)
Charlotte's career stumbled when the factory closed and jobs became rare.
Charlotte 的事業因為工廠關閉、工作機會變少而受阻。
The peace talks stumbled because neither side would accept the main conditions.
和談觸礁了，因為雙方都不願意接受主要條件。
文法句型
stumble + through [period/process]
stumble + in [endeavour]
用法筆記
Often describes organisations, plans, or careers rather than people directly. The cause is usually an external obstacle or a mistake in judgment. Distinguish from sense 4 (verb/3), which is about speaking/music errors only.
5. to discover something or meet someone unexpectedly, without having planned or se
偶然發現
意外找到或遇到某人事物
to discover something or meet someone unexpectedly, without having planned or searched for it
Shirin stumbled upon a beautiful old bookshop while exploring the back streets of Kyoto.
Shirin 在京都的巷弄裡探索時，無意間發現了一家很棒的舊書店。
stumble upon [place/thing] (unexpected discovery)
While cleaning the attic, Sora stumbled across a box of letters from his grandmother.
Sora 在清理閣樓時，偶然翻到了一箱奶奶留下的信件。
stumble across [object] (find while doing something else)
Otis stumbled on a great recipe for mushroom soup while browsing a cooking blog.
Otis 在逛料理部落格時，意外找到了一道很棒的蘑菇濃湯食譜。
The archaeologists stumbled upon ancient pottery while digging near the riverbank.
考古學家在河岸附近挖掘時，意外發現了古代的陶器。
- come across
very similar; more neutral in register
- encounter
more formal; can be planned or unplanned
- discover
implies you found something new or unknown, not necessarily by accident
- search for
the deliberate opposite — looking for something on purpose
- seek out
implies active, intentional searching
文法句型
stumble + upon/across/on + [thing/person]
用法筆記
This sense is always used with one of three prepositions: 'upon', 'across', or 'on'. 'Stumble upon' and 'stumble across' are the most common. The person did not intend to find the thing — it happened by luck or accident.
常見錯誤
stumble — 名詞
- stumblesingular
- stumblesplural
1. an occasion when someone hits their foot against something and loses balance, fa
踉蹌
被絆倒或差點跌倒的動作
an occasion when someone hits their foot against something and loses balance, falling or nearly falling
A small stumble on the stairs sent Amelia's shopping bags flying everywhere.
在樓梯上輕輕絆了一下，Amelia 的購物袋就飛得到處都是。
Pim's stumble during the race cost him his chance at the winner's trophy.
Pim 在比賽中絆倒，讓他失去了爭奪冠軍獎盃的機會。
possessive + stumble (someone's stumble)
The dancer turned a near stumble into a graceful spin that the audience loved.
那位舞者把一次差點絆倒的失誤變成優雅的旋轉，觀眾非常喜愛。
Charlotte took a stumble on the uneven pavement but caught herself quickly.
Charlotte 在不平的人行道上絆了一下，但很快穩住了自己。
- trip
very similar; 'trip' often emphasises the cause (what caught the foot), while 'stumble' focuses on the loss of balance
文法句型
a + stumble
take a stumble
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'take' (take a stumble) or with a possessive noun (his stumble). Unlike the verb sense, the noun focuses on the event itself rather than the action.
2. a mistake made while speaking, such as repeating a word, saying the wrong thing,
口誤
說話或演奏時的失誤
a mistake made while speaking, such as repeating a word, saying the wrong thing, or pausing awkwardly; also used for mistakes in music
The news anchor's stumble during the live broadcast became a popular online clip.
那位新聞主播在直播時的口誤，成了網路上流傳的熱門影片。
A small stumble in her pronunciation did not reduce the impact of her speech.
她的發音雖然出現了一點小失誤，但並沒有影響整場演說的效果。
Gabriel's stumble over the technical terms showed he had not rehearsed enough.
Gabriel 在專業術語上卡住，顯示他練習得不夠充分。
The politician's verbal stumble during the debate gave her opponent an opening.
那位政治人物在辯論中的口誤，給了對手反擊的機會。
- slip of the tongue
specific to saying the wrong word by accident; very common idiom
- hesitation
focuses on the pause rather than the error
- verbal stumble
a common collocation for this specific meaning
文法句型
a + stumble
a verbal stumble
用法筆記
Often appears with a possessive or with 'over' to indicate what caused the difficulty. This noun sense is less common than the corresponding verb sense (verb sense 3).
3. a problem, temporary failure, or difficulty that delays progress toward a goal
挫折
過程中遇到的困難或暫時失敗
a problem, temporary failure, or difficulty that delays progress toward a goal
The project hit an early stumble when the main investor withdrew their support.
那項計劃一開始就遇到了挫折，因為主要投資者撤回了資金。
hit a stumble (experience a setback)
Every startup faces a few stumbles before finding a working business model.
每家新創公司在找到可行的商業模式之前，都會經歷幾次挫折。
Despite an early stumble in the talks, both sides eventually reached an agreement.
儘管談判初期遭遇了挫折，雙方最終還是達成了協議。
The band's career suffered a stumble when their lead singer left the group.
那個樂團的事業因為主唱離團而遭遇了挫折。
- breakthrough
the opposite — a sudden advance or success after difficulty
文法句型
a + stumble + in [endeavour]
用法筆記
Common in business and project contexts. Often used with 'hit' (hit a stumble) or with an adjective (an early stumble, a minor stumble). The setback is usually temporary, not final.