English vocabulary · C1

Trundle

/ˈtrʌndəl/ · v.

Trundle means to move with small, slow steps or to push something on wheels in a slow way. The movement often looks hard and makes some noise.

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Example sentences

The old bus trundled up the hill.
We trundled the cart through the hall.

Word origin and roots

from Old English

trendel — wheel (from Old English)

Synonyms and nuances

ROLL — turn over and move (Move On Wheels)
LUMBER — move in a slow, heavy way (Move Heavily)
SHUFFLE — walk without lifting the feet much (Take Small Steps)

Lesson notes

Trundle means to move with small, slow steps or to push something on wheels in a slow way. The movement often looks hard and makes some noise.

Related: roll, lumber, shuffle. Use trundle when someone or something moves slowly with a heavy feel, often on wheels.

The old bus trundled up the hill. We trundled the cart through the hall.

From Old English. Trendel meant wheel. Old English trendel became trundle in English. A wheel moves by rolling, and trundle kept that slow rolling idea.