blunder

[bluhn-der] /ˈblʌn dər/
noun
1.
a gross, stupid, or careless mistake:
That's your second blunder this morning.
verb (used without object)
2.
to move or act blindly, stupidly, or without direction or steady guidance:
Without my glasses I blundered into the wrong room.
3.
to make a gross or stupid mistake, especially through carelessness or mental confusion:
Just pray that he doesn't blunder again and get the names wrong.
verb (used with object)
4.
to bungle; botch:
Several of the accounts were blundered by that new assistant.
5.
to utter thoughtlessly; blurt out:
He blundered his surprise at their winning the award.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English blunderen, blondren, (v.) < Old Norse blunda shut one's eyes, nap; compare Norwegian dialect blundra
Related forms
blunderer, noun
blunderingly, adverb
nonblundering, adjective, noun
nonblunderingly, adverb
outblunder, verb (used with object)
superblunder, noun
unblundering, adjective
Synonyms
1. error. See mistake.
Examples from the web for blunder
  • Neuroscientists have a frozen mistake of their own, and it is a spectacular blunder.
  • It was worse than a crime, it was a blunder.
  • Einstein admitted that the cosmological constant was his biggest blunder.
  • Don't just blunder in and criticize people.
  • You can argue that it was an accident, that it wasn't policy, that it was a well-meaning blunder.
  • My most recent blunder was to comment that it was cold outside.
  • They don't want to make a blunder that will hang over their heads forever.
  • He looks around, hoping no one else has realized his blunder.
  • He has made the same blunder before, and once again he was thrown out easily.
  • Needless to say, this is an appalling blunder and I should have caught it.
British Dictionary definitions for blunder

blunder

/ˈblʌndə/
noun
1.
a stupid or clumsy mistake
2.
a foolish tactless remark
verb (mainly intransitive)
3.
to make stupid or clumsy mistakes
4.
to make foolish tactless remarks
5.
often foll by about, into, etc. to act clumsily; stumble: he blundered into a situation he knew nothing about
6.
(transitive) to mismanage; botch
Derived Forms
blunderer, noun
blundering, noun, adjective
blunderingly, adverb
Word Origin
C14: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse blunda to close one's eyes, Norwegian dialect blundra; see blind
Word Origin and History for blunder
v.

mid-14c., "to stumble about blindly," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse blundra "shut one's eyes," from PIE root *bhlendh- (see blind). Meaning "make a stupid mistake" is first recorded 1711. Related: Blundered; blundering.

n.

mid-14c., apparently from blunder (v.), though of about the same age.