- to mingle (objects, papers, etc) in a state of disorder
- (transitive; usually passive) to remember in a confused form; muddle
- a disordered mass, state, etc
- Brit articles donated for a jumble sale
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
jum•ble /ˈdʒʌmbəl/USA pronunciation
v., -bled, -bling, n.
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v.
- to mix in a confused mass;
put or throw together without order: [~ + object]The clothes were all jumbled together.[~ + up + object]Someone jumbled up the files.[~ + object + up]Someone jumbled them up.
n. [countable]
- a mixed, disordered, or confused heap or mass:the clothes in a jumble on the floor.
- a state of confusion or disorder:My mind's in a jumble.
jum•ble
( jum′bəl),USA pronunciation v., -bled, -bling, n.
v.t.
v.i.
n.
jum′ble•ment, n.
jum′bler, n.
jum′bling•ly, adv.
v.t.
- to mix in a confused mass;
put or throw together without order:You've jumbled up all the cards. - to confuse mentally;
muddle.
v.i.
- to be mixed together in a disorderly heap or mass.
- to meet or come together confusedly.
n.
- a mixed or disordered heap or mass:a jumble of paper clips, rubber bands, and string.
- a confused mixture;
medley. - a state of confusion or disorder.
- FoodAlso, jum′bal. a small, round, flat cake or cookie with a hole in the middle.
- perh. blend of, blended joll to bump (now dialect, dialectal) and tumble 1520–30
jum′bler, n.
jum′bling•ly, adv.
- 7. muddle, hodgepodge; farrago, gallimaufry; mess; chaos.
- 1. separate. 7. order.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
jumble /ˈdʒʌmbəl/ vb