stum·ble /ˈstʌmbəl/ ●○○ verb [intransitiveI] 1 FALLto hit your foot against something or put your foot down awkwardly while you are walking or running, so that you almost fall 绊脚,绊跌,绊了一下 SYN trip In her hurry, she stumbled and spilled the milk all over the floor. 匆忙中她绊了一下,把牛奶洒得满地都是。
stumble over/on Vic stumbled over the step as he came in. 维克进来时在台阶上绊了一下。
► see thesaurus at fall 2 WALKto walk in an unsteady way and often almost fall 蹒跚而行,踉跄 SYN staggerstumble in/out/across etc He stumbled upstairs and into bed. 他踉踉跄跄地走上楼,一头倒在床上。
3 MISTAKEto stop or make a mistake when you are reading to people or speaking 〔朗读或说话时〕结巴,说错stumble over/at/through I hope I don’t stumble over any of the long words. 希望我说那些长单词不会结结巴巴。
4 stumble on/across/upon something phrasal verbphr v FINDto find or discover something by chance and unexpectedly 偶然发现[碰见] SYN come across Researchers have stumbled across a drug that may help patients with Parkinson’s disease. 研究人员偶然发现了一种或可治疗帕金森病的药物。
—stumble noun [countableC]