🌲 Timber business 🐘 Moving heavily

lumbering

1 5.0

Moving slowly and heavily in an awkward way

adjective
/ˈlʌmbərɪŋ/

: pesado

The old, lumbering train moved gradually along the tracks, its roar echoing through the quiet countryside.
lumbering beast
lumbering man
big, lumbering

But if you do it as this lumbering character, then it's more innocent.

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Examples

The huge, lumbering bear made its way slowly through the forest, stopping occasionally to browse on shrubs.
They’ve been pretty light on their feet—a far cry from the sluggish, lumbering brutes we would have expected.

Fiction book (1993)
This bear is coming toward, big, lumbering, eating machine like that happy chap over there.

The Invention of Lying (2009)
It felt like you were on this, this huge lumbering colossus as it's moving.
America's "system" of higher education resembles an elephant: huge, lumbering, and difficult.

Academic text (2006)
I was very fit, so I could usually chase the burglars quicker than the lumbering PCs who I left far behind.

Liam Tuffs
He really was a bit like Colombo: intelligent yet lumbering and mildly disorganized.

Fiction book (1992)
He is a ferocious, lumbering, music-driven presence, and he fills this small radio studio to the very brim.

Fiction book (2000)
...government is a slow, lumbering (but mostly well-intentioned) beast, with layer upon layer of bureaucracy and regulation that becomes more burdensome and complicated over time.

Blog text (11)
As the tall, lumbering man walked down the street, he caught everyone's attention with his clumsy gait.

Synonyms

to stagger

vslumbering

49 4.0

Walk in an unsteady way as if about to fall

is slow and heavy instead of unsteady from weakness or balance loss

to lumber

vslumbering

18 4.6

To move slowly with heavy awkward steps

is the form that stresses large size or weight as the cause

to pound

vslumbering

11 3.1

To walk with heavy noisy steps that make a loud sound

is similar but points to bulk or weight as the main reason

to shamble

vslumbering

4 7.9

To walk awkwardly while dragging your feet

is heavier and slower, usually due to bulk rather than dragging

to dodder

vslumbering

4 8.4

To walk in a slow, unsteady way because of old age or weakness

is slow and awkward but caused by bulk or weight not frailty

to plod

vslumbering

4 5.5

To walk slowly with heavy steps because you are tired

is similar yet focuses on large size or weight instead of tiredness

to stump

vslumbering

2 5.9

To walk with heavy noisy steps that show effort or anger

is like this but usually caused by large body size or mass

to galumph

vslumbering

Informal

1 9.9

To move in a heavy, noisy, and clumsy way

is similar but highlights large size or weight rather than playfulness

to slog

vslumbering

1 5.3

To walk slowly with heavy steps, often through mud or when tired

shares slowness and heaviness but stresses large size or weight

to daddle

vslumbering

Archaic

9.9

To walk with small, unsteady steps

is heavier and slower, linked to size or weight not weakness

tottering

vslumbering

6.0

Unsteady and moving because of weakness or old age

is heavy and awkward due to large size rather than physical weakness

Antonyms

fluid and graceful

1 3.9

Moving smoothly and elegantly without sudden or awkward movements

How Slow

ponderous

9 7.9

lumbering

1 5.0

plodding

1 5.3

sluggish

30 3.9

slow

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

lumbering positive

Morphology

lumbering = lumber (transparent) = lumber + ing

Adjectival/present-participial form of the verb 'lumber'; meaning is directly built from the verb's meaning.

Etymology

Lumbering (slow, heavy movement) comes from the idea of carrying or being full of lumber ('heavy wood' or old bulky things). That's why a lumbering person or animal moves slowly and as if weighed down.