To trundle means to roll along slowly and steadily, often with a rumbling or rattling sound. A wagon might trundle down a bumpy dirt road, its wooden wheels creaking and bouncing over stones. A shopping cart trundles across a parking lot, making that familiar rattling noise as it rolls.

The word captures both the movement and the sound: something that trundles doesn't zoom or glide smoothly. Instead, it moves in a deliberate, sometimes noisy way. A ball might trundle slowly across the floor after a weak throw. In old stories, you might read about a cart trundling through cobblestone streets.

A trundle bed is a low bed on wheels that rolls out from under a taller bed, useful when friends sleep over. When you pull it out, it trundles across the floor until it's in position.

People sometimes use trundle playfully to describe how they themselves move when tired: “I trundled out of bed this morning” suggests moving slowly and heavily, like a cart with squeaky wheels. The word adds personality to the movement, making it feel almost like you can hear what's happening.