Lumbering
/ˈlʌm.bər.ɪŋ/noun
Moving in a slow, heavy, awkward, or clumsy way.
Did you know?The word is tied to the older noun lumber, which originally meant useless odds and ends or discarded stuff, so the “clumsy movement” sense grew out of the feeling of dragging dead weight.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
ME
lumber
“Useless odds and ends; discarded clutter”
15th Century
English
lumber
“To clutter or encumber with useless objects”
16th Century
English
lumbering
“Moving in a heavy, awkward, encumbered way”
Modern English
English
lumbering
“Slow, heavy, and clumsy in movement”