Synonyms for blunder

Most common

mistake · error · gaffe · bungle · impropriety · floater · unforced error

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

Verb

Definitions

1. n. 1

   A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.

2. v. 1

   To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid.

   to blunder in preparing a medical prescription

3. v. 2

   To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid. To make a bad move, especially caused by tactical oversight.

4. v. 3

   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].

Related words

Word family

blunderbuss blunderful blunderhead blunderous blundersome blundery blunderer

Forms

Plural

blunders → mistakes, bungles, errors, gaffes…

Past participle

blundered
e.g. blundered → sinned, boobed, blurted, ejaculated…

Example sentences

• mistake If that man makes one more mistake, I'll fire him.
• error He looked over the text, but overlooked the error.
• gaffe He committed a gaffe when he asked whether she was pregnant.
• bungle The company will never recover after that last bungle.
• impropriety Tom seemed unconcerned with the impropriety of his question.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

sin¹, err¹

4 letters

miss¹, trip¹, slip¹, bull¹, boob¹, goof¹, flub

5 letters

fault¹, error², lapse¹, fluff¹, gaffe¹, blurt¹, botch¹

6 letters

fumble², howler², bungle², boggle²

7 letters

mistake², butcher², stumble², floater², blooper²

8 letters

flounder²

9 letters

oversight³, ejaculate⁴

11 letters

impropriety⁵

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (error² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

bourde

Italiano

panzana

Español

metida de pata