tumble
verbVerb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they tumble | |
| he / she / it tumbles | |
| past simple tumbled | |
| past participle tumbled | |
| -ing form tumbling |
- [intransitive, transitive] tumble (somebody/something) + adv./prep.
to fall downwards, often hitting the ground several times, but usually without serious injury; to make somebody/something fall in this way （使）跌倒，摔倒，滚落，翻滚下来 - [intransitive] tumble (down)
to fall suddenly and in a dramatic way 倒塌；坍塌 The scaffolding came tumbling down. 脚手架突然倒塌。 - (figurative)
World records tumbled at the last Olympics. 在上届奥林匹克运动会上世界纪录被大幅刷新。
- [intransitive]
to fall rapidly in value or amount （价格或数量）暴跌，骤降 Extra ExamplesProfits have tumbled from £15 billion to just £3 billion. 利润从150亿英镑暴跌至30亿英镑。 The news sent shares tumbling. 这一消息导致股票暴跌。
- [intransitive] + adv./prep.
to move or fall somewhere in a relaxed or noisy way, or with a lack of control 翻滚；打滚；翻腾；轻松地倒下 I undressed and tumbled into bed. 我脱下衣服，滚到床上。 A group of noisy children tumbled out of the bus. 一群吵吵嚷嚷的孩子一窝蜂地下了公共汽车。 The water tumbled over the rocks. 水在岩石上翻滚。 Thick golden curls tumbled down over her shoulders. 厚厚的金色鬈发垂在她的肩上。 - (figurative)
Her words came tumbling out. 她的话脱口而出。 She tumbled through the front door and collapsed in a heap. 她跌跌撞撞地穿过前门，瘫成一堆。
- [intransitive]
to perform acrobatics on the floor, especially somersaults (= a jump in which you turn over completely in the air) 表演杂技；翻跟头；（尤指）做空翻动作 a tumbling troupe 翻滚剧团
Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb, also in the sense ‘dance with contortions’): from Middle Low German tummelen; compare with Old English tumbian ‘to dance’. The sense was probably influenced by Old French tomber ‘to fall’. The noun, first in the sense ‘tangled mass’, dates from the mid 17th cent.