blunder

blunder — noun

1. an embarrassing or harmful error that happens because someone acts carelessly or

1.nounC1
Definition

an embarrassing or harmful error that happens because someone acts carelessly or without enough thought.

Example

The pilot's map blunder sent the rescue boat miles south.

noun: blunder causing a bad result

Priya admitted her visa blunder after missing the flight to Seoul.

Common collocations
  • costly blunder
  • public blunder
  • tactical blunder
  • make a blunder
Synonyms
  • mistake

    the most general everyday word and often less critical

  • error

    more neutral or formal, especially in technical contexts

  • gaffe

    usually a social or public mistake that causes embarrassment

  • slip

    normally smaller and more accidental than a blunder

Grammar Patterns

make a blunder

a blunder in [something]

Usage Note

Often used for a mistake with serious or embarrassing results, not for a tiny everyday slip. Distinguish from verb sense 2, which describes making the mistake rather than the mistake itself.

Common Mistakes

He made blunder in the report.
He made a blunder in the report.
this noun is countable and usually needs an article or another determiner.

blunder — verb

Word family

  • blunderer
    nounC2
  • blundering
    adjectiveC2
  • blunderingly
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, 'blunder' is stronger than 'mistake' and usually suggests a large error with obvious bad results. 'Mistake' is the everyday general word and can describe anything from a tiny misunderstanding to a serious failure. 'Error' is often more neutral or formal, especially in academic, technical, or official writing. 'Slip' usually means a smaller mistake caused by carelessness or a moment of inattention. 'Gaffe' is mainly a social or public mistake that embarrasses the speaker. Compare: 'Sending the rescue boat south was a blunder' sounds serious and damaging, while 'I made a mistake in the total' sounds ordinary. 'He made a gaffe at dinner' points to social embarrassment rather than practical harm.

mistake ↗error ↗slip ↗gaffe

Common collocations

Nouns

  • costly blunder
  • major blunder
  • public blunder

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make a blunder
  • commit a blunder
  • blunder an apology

Prepositions

  • blunder into
  • blunder through
  • blunder by + -ing

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb entered Middle English as 'blundren', probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse 'blunda', meaning 'shut one's eyes' or 'doze'. The earliest idea seems to have been moving blindly or clumsily. From that, English later developed the sense of making a foolish mistake, and the noun grew from the verb.