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🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

stolpern

Pronunciation / Transliteration: ˈʃtɔlpɐn

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Stumble/ˈstʌm.bəl/
verbnounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #2450 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Er ist über die Treppe gestolpert."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To trip or momentarily lose one's balance while walking or running.

    "She watched her step so she wouldn't stumble on the loose stones."
As noun
  1. 1

    An act of tripping or losing one's balance.

    "A slight stumble nearly cost him the race."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from Middle English 'stumblen', likely stemming from Old Norse roots related to tripping or striking the foot against something. Over centuries, the meaning broadened metaphorically from physical awkwardness to making a mistake or discovering something by chance.

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