jumble
jumble — noun
1. a messy collection of different items, thoughts, or emotions that have no clear
a messy collection of different items, thoughts, or emotions that have no clear order or arrangement
Niran found a jumble of old furniture, dusty books, and broken toys in the attic.
collocation: a jumble of [objects]
After the breakup, Ayana's thoughts were a jumble of regret, relief, and loneliness.
collocation: a jumble of [abstract emotions]
The student's essay was a jumble of random facts and personal opinions.
In Leo's garage, tools lay in a jumble on every shelf and workbench.
The bulletin board was a jumble of notices, posters, and photos from the school trip.
- mess
broader term that can include dirtiness; 'mess' is more general while 'jumble' emphasizes mixed-together items
- muddle
focuses more on mental confusion than physical disorder
- hodgepodge
similar meaning but often used for a mix of different types or styles, not necessarily messy
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus a plural noun phrase that names the mixed items — for example, a jumble of papers, a jumble of emotions, a jumble of ingredients.
常見錯誤
2. used or unwanted household items that people give away to be sold at a charity s
used or unwanted household items that people give away to be sold at a charity sale event
Kian packed up his old clothes and kitchen gadgets for the jumble.
phrase: for the jumble
The church received several large bags of jumble from local families.
uncountable usage: bags of jumble
Volunteers sorted through the jumble, pricing each item at fifty cents.
Sade found a beautiful china teacup hidden among the jumble on the table.
Broken toys and stained clothes are not suitable for the church jumble.
- donations
broader term that includes money and new items, not just unwanted household goods
- used goods
more neutral and descriptive, less specifically tied to charity sales
用法筆記
Primarily British English. This sense is uncountable — you say 'bags of jumble' or 'donate some jumble,' not 'a jumble.' The countable 'a jumble' belongs to sense 1 (a confused mixture).
常見錯誤
3. a small, thin, ring-shaped sweet biscuit or cake, usually dusted with sugar or t
a small, thin, ring-shaped sweet biscuit or cake, usually dusted with sugar or topped with icing
The old-fashioned bakery still sells fresh jumbles with a light dusting of sugar.
typical description: dusted with sugar
Yael's grandmother used to make jumbles for the family every Christmas.
collocation: make jumbles
These jumbles have a crisp, light texture and a pleasant hint of lemon.
The children decorated the jumbles with pink icing and colorful sprinkles.
A plate of warm jumbles sat on the counter beside a glass of milk.
- ring cookie
the modern descriptive term for the same item
- biscuit
broader category; in British English this would be the usual term
用法筆記
An uncommon word in modern English. Most speakers today would say 'ring-shaped cookie' or 'biscuit' instead. This sense is historically older and appears mainly in traditional baking contexts.
jumble — verb
- jumblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- jumbleshe / she / it
- jumbledpast simple
- jumbling-ing form
1. to place items into a pile or group without any concern for order, so that diffe
to place items into a pile or group without any concern for order, so that different things become mixed up and hard to separate
Jenna jumbled all the colored beads together in one large cardboard box.
transitive: jumble + object + together
The papers on Mathieu's desk were jumbled beyond all recognition.
passive: be jumbled
Anjali told her son not to jumble his clean clothes with the dirty ones.
The strong wind jumbled the pages of Yan's notebook across the garden path.
Niran's speech was so jumbled that nobody could follow his main argument.
文法句型
jumble + object + together/up
be jumbled (with)
用法筆記
Often used in the passive form (things are jumbled) or with the particles 'up' and 'together.' The figurative meaning — a jumbled speech, jumbled thoughts — is very common and extends the physical mixing idea to ideas or words.