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Adjective: fumbling  fúm-b(u-)ling
  1. Showing lack of skill or aptitude
    "his fumbling attempt to put up a shelf";
    - bungling, clumsy, incompetent
Verb: fumble  fúm-bul
  1. Feel about uncertainly or blindly
    "She fumbled for her glasses in the darkness of the bedroom";
    - grope
     
  2. Make one's way clumsily or blindly
    "He fumbled towards the door";
    - blunder
     
  3. Handle clumsily
     
  4. Make a mess of, destroy or ruin
    "I fumbled the dinner and we had to eat out";
    - botch, bodge [Brit, informal], bumble, botch up, muff [informal], blow, flub [N. Amer, informal], screw up [informal], spoil, muck up [informal], bungle, fluff [informal], bobble [N. Amer], mishandle, louse up [informal], foul up, mess up, butcher, goof up [informal], cock up [Brit, informal], balls up [informal], make a hash of [informal]
     
  5. (baseball) drop, juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder
    "fumble a grounder"

See also: grope for, unskilled

Type of: fail, go wrong, handle, look for, miscarry, palm, pass, play, search, seek

Encyclopedia: Fumble