stumblebum

[ stuhm-buhl-buhm ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a clumsy, second-rate prizefighter.
2. a clumsy, incompetent person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stumblebum¹

First recorded in 1930–35; stumble + bum ¹

Example Sentences

On the field, an assortment of fluffy stumblebums tussle over squeaky objects until they drag whatever they put in their mouth into an end zone.

From Salon

Her fatal flaw was that she stumbled at the wrong time and the adorable stumblebum failed with slightly more flair.

From Salon

In one indelible review, the conservative critic Hilton Kramer lamented the “spectacle of mandarin sensibilities masquerading as unlettered but lyrical stumblebums.”

From Washington Post

Collectively, they tell a story that is part political thriller and part courtroom drama, with moments of Shakespearean grandeur and swerves into stumblebum comedy.

From New York Times

Any stumblebum with a few bucks and a working knowledge of the English language can execute this exchange.

From Golf Digest

Related Words

• blunderer
• bungler
• duffer
• fumbler
• klutz