blundering
|blund-er-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈblʌndər/
🇬🇧
/ˈblʌndə/
(blunder)
careless mistake
Etymology
'blunder' originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'blunda', where 'blunda' meant 'to shut the eyes; to doze or sleep.'
'blunder' changed from Middle English (verb) 'blunderen' and later the noun 'blunder' appeared; the sense shifted through usage in late Middle English and Early Modern English to the modern forms 'blunder' and 'blundering.'
Initially, it meant 'to shut one's eyes or doze / to strike blindly,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to make a foolish or careless mistake' and adjectival sense 'clumsy, prone to making mistakes.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or instance of making a careless or stupid mistake (used as a gerundive noun)
His blundering cost the company a large contract.
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Verb 1
present participle/gerund of 'blunder': to make a serious or careless mistake
He kept blundering through the negotiations and lost the trust of his team.
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Verb 2
to move or act in a clumsy, unskilled, or awkward way (often physically)
She was blundering around in the dark, knocking into furniture.
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Last updated: 2025/11/04 12:07