Dictionary

blunder en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˈblʌ̈n.dɚ] ~ [ˈblʌ̈n.dɹ̩] (General-American)
• [ˈblʌ̹n.dəː] (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈblʌn.dəː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈblʌn.dɚ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English blundren, blondren (verb) and blunder, blonder (“disturbance, strife”), from the verb; partly from Middle English blondren, a frequentative form of Middle English blonden, blanden ("to mix; mix up"; corresponding to blend + -er); and partly from Middle English blundren, a frequentative form of Middle English blunden (“to stagger; stumble”), from Old Norse blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”). Cognates include Norwegian blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”), dialectal Swedish blundra (“to act blindly or rashly”), Danish blunde (“to blink”) or blunde (“to take a nap”), Icelandic blunda (“to nap; doze”). Related to English blind.

Meanings

1. A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.
   • We could laugh at our scholastic blunders and our social faux pas's. 1869, The Cornellian, volume 124, Secret Societies of Cornell University, page 353:
2. A very bad move, usually caused by some tactical oversight.
3. (obsolete) Confusion; bewilderment; trouble; disturbance; clamour.

Forms

Deriveds

blundery · blunderously · winter blunderland · blunder years · blunderland · blunderful · flounder · blunderous · blunderhead · blundersome · blunderfest · blunderbuss · thud and blunder

Descendants

blunder · blunder

Synonyms

blooper (error) · mul:?? · goof · howler

Translations (95)

de Fehlleistung (mistake) · sh kiks (mistake) · ru проко́л (mistake) · nb bukk (mistake) · el λάθος (mistake) · es condoro (mistake) · ru ляп (mistake) · es traspié (mistake) · he פַּאֲשְׁלָה (mistake) · ca relliscada (mistake) · ja へま (mistake) · id kesalahan (mistake) · es desliz (mistake) · fi kömmähdys (mistake) · ru просчёт (mistake) · mr घोडचूक (mistake) · tr hata (mistake) · mk про́пуст (mistake) · sh кикс (mistake) · mk кикс (mistake) · fr impair (mistake) · fi haksahdus (mistake) · it sfondone (mistake) · ga tuaiplis (mistake) · bg груба грешка (mistake) · de Fauxpas (mistake) · mi hēnga (mistake) · de Ungeschicklichkeit (mistake) · id kecerobohan (mistake) · de Fehltritt (mistake) · es metida de pata (mistake) · es metedura de pata (mistake) · vi nước sai lầm ngớ ngẩn (in Chess.com) (big mistake in chess) · el γκάφα f σφάλμα (mistake) · fi kommellus (mistake) · it cantonata (mistake) · pt pontapé (mistake) · de Schnitzer (mistake) · ca ficada de pota (mistake) · es topinada (mistake) · es gazapo (mistake) · es error garrafal (mistake) · non fingrbrjótr (big mistake in chess) · pl gafa (mistake) · es metida de patas (mistake) · es torpeza (mistake) · cmn 錯誤 /错误 (mistake) · it strafalcione (mistake) · ru грубая ошибка (mistake) · mk гаф (mistake) · fr faux pas (mistake) · sv blunder (mistake) · ga botún (mistake) · it svarione (mistake) · pt mico (mistake) · hu szarvashiba (mistake) · nb tabbe (mistake) · mi pōkaku (mistake) · es cagada (mistake) · it topica (mistake) · de Mißgriff (mistake) · es desatino (mistake) · fi munaus (mistake) · ru про́мах (mistake) · bg пропуск (mistake) · it abbaglio (mistake) · nb bommert (mistake) · de Fehlgriff (mistake) · el παραδρομή (mistake) · es descache (mistake) · ja ポカ (mistake) · ga meancóg (mistake) · de Versehen (mistake) · es error (mistake) · mk ла́псус (mistake) · fi töppäys (mistake) · ru зево́к (mistake) · es tropiezo (mistake) · ru ля́псус (mistake) · nb blunder (mistake) · de Fehler (mistake) · sv tavla (mistake) · fr bourde (mistake) · sv tabbe (mistake) · hu baklövés (mistake) · id blunder (mistake) · pt gafe (mistake) · fr maladresse (mistake) · fr gaffe (mistake) · mi paheketanga (mistake) · pt confusão (mistake) · de Patzer (mistake) · nl blunder (mistake) · es mote (mistake) · pt erro (mistake)

blunder en · VERB

Pronunciation

• [ˈblʌ̈n.dɚ] ~ [ˈblʌ̈n.dɹ̩] (General-American)
• [ˈblʌ̹n.dəː] (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈblʌn.dəː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈblʌn.dɚ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English blundren, blondren (verb) and blunder, blonder (“disturbance, strife”), from the verb; partly from Middle English blondren, a frequentative form of Middle English blonden, blanden ("to mix; mix up"; corresponding to blend + -er); and partly from Middle English blundren, a frequentative form of Middle English blunden (“to stagger; stumble”), from Old Norse blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”). Cognates include Norwegian blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”), dialectal Swedish blundra (“to act blindly or rashly”), Danish blunde (“to blink”) or blunde (“to take a nap”), Icelandic blunda (“to nap; doze”). Related to English blind.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid.
   • to blunder in preparing a medical prescription
2. (intransitive) To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid. ▸ To make a bad move, especially caused by tactical oversight.
3. (intransitive, transitive) To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid. ▸ To lose a piece due to having made a bad move [with the piece lost].
   • blunder a rook
4. (intransitive, transitive) To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid. ▸ To overlook the possibility of, or end up in, a specified undesirable situation after making a bad move.
   • blunder a draw
   • blunder a mate in one
5. (figuratively, intransitive, sometimes, with adverb or preposition) To move in an unsteady way.
   • I was never distinguished for address, and have often even blundered in making my bow. October 6, 1759, Oliver Goldsmith, The Bee No. 1
   • blunders on, and staggers every pace 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
6. (intransitive, with adverb or preposition) To enter a place or become involved in a difficult situation by mistake.
   • He and I had blundered into the middle of a gang fight once and I saw him shank a guy-stuck homeboy in the chest and strolled off cool as you please. 2007 May 6, Steve Geng, “First Chapter: ‘Thick as Thieves’”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2015:
7. (obsolete, transitive) To do or treat in a blundering manner; to confuse.
   • He blunders and confounds all these together. 1676, Edward Stillingfleet, A Defence of the Discourse Concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome:
   • Were a Diſpute to be manag'd purely for a Trial of Skill; then to ſhuffle and digreſs from the Matter in hand, ſo as by any means whatſoever to blunder an Adverſary, and ſtop the Progreſs of his Argument, were a more pardonable Piece of Folly. 1714, Humphry Ditton, A discourse concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Forms

Deriveds

blundery · blunderingly · unblundering · blundering · blunderer · outblunder · unblundered

Descendants

blunderen

Translations (66)

fr se mouvoir maladroitement (To move blindly or clumsily) · nl blunderen (To make a stupid mistake) · de sich blamieren (To make a stupid mistake) · es dar tumbos (To move blindly or clumsily) · nl een flater slaan (To make a stupid mistake) · ru дви́гаться неуве́ренно (To move blindly or clumsily) · eo fuŝi (To make a stupid mistake) · it muoversi a tentoni (To move blindly or clumsily) · es cagar fuera del tiesto (To make a stupid mistake) · pt cometer erro (To make a stupid mistake) · sv drumla (To move blindly or clumsily) · it errare (To make a stupid mistake) · de vermurksen (To make a stupid mistake) · it spropositare (To make a stupid mistake) · fr se planter (To make a stupid mistake) · ca anar cegament (To move blindly or clumsily) · ru лопухну́ться (To make a stupid mistake) · bg правя груби грешки (To make a stupid mistake) · de vermasseln (To make a stupid mistake) · nb tabbe seg ut (To make a stupid mistake) · fr se tromper (To make a stupid mistake) · ru дви́гаться о́щупью (To move blindly or clumsily) · it sbagliare (To make a stupid mistake) · de patzen (To make a stupid mistake) · mi pakihawa (To move blindly or clumsily) · th เพลี่ยงพล่ำ (To make a stupid mistake) · es cagar fuera del tibor (To make a stupid mistake) · de einen Bock schießen (To make a stupid mistake) · th พลาดท่า (To make a stupid mistake) · nl een bok schieten (To make a stupid mistake) · de pfuschen (To make a stupid mistake) · hu bakot lő (To make a stupid mistake) · it sgarrare (To make a stupid mistake) · pt fazer besteira (To make a stupid mistake) · it toppare (To make a stupid mistake) · la eo caece (To move blindly or clumsily) · de stolpern (To move blindly or clumsily) · fr se déplacer maladroitement (To move blindly or clumsily) · de danebengreifen (To make a stupid mistake) · ru ля́пнуть (To make a stupid mistake) · nl flateren (To make a stupid mistake) · it andare alla cieca (To move blindly or clumsily) · it prendere un abbaglio (To make a stupid mistake) · fr faire une gaffe (To make a stupid mistake) · nl miskleunen (To make a stupid mistake) · de murksen (To make a stupid mistake) · ru лажа́ться (To make a stupid mistake) · ru облажа́ться (To make a stupid mistake) · pt atrapalhar-se (To make a stupid mistake) · fr fauter (To make a stupid mistake) · de herumtappen (To move blindly or clumsily) · bg вървя слепешката (To move blindly or clumsily) · es cagar fuera del cajón (To make a stupid mistake) · nb bukke (To make a stupid mistake) · sa स्रेधति (To make a stupid mistake) · es cagarse fuera del tarro (To make a stupid mistake) · mr घोडचूक करणे (To make a stupid mistake) · th เสียที (To make a stupid mistake) · el σφάλλω (To make a stupid mistake) · ru дви́гаться на о́щупь (To move blindly or clumsily) · pt andar cegamente (To move blindly or clumsily) · it prendere una cantonata (To make a stupid mistake) · vo pökön (To make a stupid mistake) · es meter la pata (To make a stupid mistake) · de Mist bauen (To make a stupid mistake) · fr gaffer (To make a stupid mistake)