blunder
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A very bad move, usually caused by some tactical oversight.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bluhnderSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈblʌndɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.
chess
A very bad move, usually caused by some tactical oversight.
verb
intransitive
To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid.
intransitivewith adverb or preposition
To enter a place or become involved in a difficult situation by mistake.
(intransitive, sometimes figurative, with adverb or preposition) To move in an unsteady way.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Rare
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid.
Used this way, blunder is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It carries more force than its gentler alternatives. It turns up most in personal or emotional discussion and literature or storytelling contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Strong
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Where it naturally appears
- Personal/emotional discussion
- Literature/storytelling
Nearby words
- screw up , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
- fluff , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
- boob , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
- foul up , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use blunder
- “I blundered during the job interview.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.