lumbering

[ luhm-ber-ing ]

noun

1. the trade or business of cutting and preparing lumber.

lumbering

¹

/ ˈlʌmbərɪŋ /

adjective

1. awkward in movement
2. moving with a rumbling sound

lumbering

²

/ ˈlʌmbərɪŋ /

noun

1. the business or trade of cutting, transporting, preparing, or selling timber

Derived Forms

• ˈlumberingness, noun
• ˈlumberingly, adverb

Other Words From

• un·lumber·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lumbering¹

First recorded in 1765–75; lumber ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The animal belongs to a herd of hefty herbivores who spend their days lumbering through an open landscape of conifers and gingkos, horsetails and monkey puzzle trees.

From Los Angeles Times

Like, say, maintaining his X-rated shrubbery or reanimating dead flesh into a lumbering errand boy.

From Salon

And somehow, as the mess unfolded, even the legendary Patti LuPone got pulled into it, having infamously been canned by Andrew Lloyd Webber from her role as Norma Desmond in the 1993 London production of Sunset Boulevard, dissing the revival in a recent appearance on "The View" where she called it "lumbering."

From Salon

Russell was called upon to serve as a utility player, so perhaps it was best that he wasn’t a replica of the lumbering Mitch we’ve come to expect from Karl Malden’s memorable portrayal.

From Los Angeles Times

This finding may explain why we lumbering humans seldom squash flies.

From BBC

Related Words

• hulking
• ungainly
• unwieldy