bump1 verbbump2 noun
bumpbump1 /bʌmp/ ●●● S3 verb 
WORD ORIGINbump1
Origin:
1500-1600 From the soundVERB TABLE
bump
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | bump |
| he, she, it | bumps | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | bumped |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have bumped |
| he, she, it | has bumped | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had bumped |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will bump |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have bumped |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am bumping |
| he, she, it | is bumping | |
| you, we, they | are bumping | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was bumping |
| you, we, they | were bumping | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been bumping |
| he, she, it | has been bumping | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been bumping |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be bumping |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been bumping |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Babies are always bumping their heads.
- His right leg bumped against the parking brake.
- But here I am stuck now and can't go out in case I bump into her.
- He had a curious knock-kneed kind of walk that seemed to send him bumping into things all the time.
- I bumped into porters carrying baskets on their shoulders.
- I run after her, bumping against people in my rush.
- Luckily, as they returned to Cockroach, Wednesday's dormitory, they bumped into Matron who was fixing her motorbike.
- On my way out of the compound one morning, I bumped into Sara.
- This does not mean you have to excuse a child who hits another child who accidentally bumped into him.
THESAURUSto hit something accidentally
· I’ve got a bad bruise where I hit my leg against the table.· The car hit a tree.
to hit a part of your body against something, especially because you do not see or notice it: · Careful you don’t bump your head – the ceiling’s very low.
to hit something hard, so that you hurt yourself or damage something: · He banged into the car in front.· I bashed my knee climbing over a gate.· She fell and bashed her chin on the ground.
to hit your toe against something and hurt it: · I stubbed my toe on the piano leg.
Longman Language Activatora ghost the spirit of a dead person that some people believe they can see or hear: · 'The ghost can be heard going up and down the stairs in the middle of the night,' Ackley said. · Do you believe in ghosts?· Hindus believe that ghosts are scared of fire.ghost of somebody: · The church is haunted by the ghost of a young man who was killed there on his wedding day.ghost story: · Do you know any good ghost stories?
looking like a ghost, or making you think of ghosts: · A ghostly figure hovered at the top of the stairs.· In the last scene of the play, a ghostly female figure shimmers into the room, her arms laden with books.· She felt the touch of a ghostly hand on her shoulder.
the part of a person that, according to some people's beliefs, continues to live after they have died: spirit of somebody: · In Japan people believe that the spirits of the dead return to visit the earth every summer during the Obon festival.evil spirits (=spirits that want to harm people): · My grandparents used to wear charms to protect themselves against evil spirits.
a type of ghost you cannot see, that moves furniture and throws things around: · Clark says the poltergeist scatters pots and pans over the kitchen floor, opens locked doors and frightens the family dog.
a frightening and unclear image of a dead person - used especially in literature: · Suddenly a phantom appeared out of the mist, terrifying the hikers.
an image of a dead person that you see suddenly and only for a short time: · The women said they saw an apparition in the church, next to the altar.· The apparition ran silently across the lobby and disappeared through a window.
British /specter American a ghost, especially a frightening one - used especially in literature: · They say that the spectres of the murdered children walk through the grounds at night.· The spectre is reputed to be that of Frances Culpepper, daughter of Lord John Freschville.
the world of ghosts, spirits etc and things that cannot be explained by science: · Many of the people here continue to believe in the supernatural.· stories about the supernatural
ghosts and other strange frightening things in general - used humorously: · She's always been a bit scared of things that go bump in the night.
to hit someone or something accidentally · Be careful with that stick! You nearly hit me with it.· There's a chip on the windshield where a stone hit it.hit somebody on the head/knee etc · The ball hit me in the face.hit your head/knee/elbow etc · The ceiling's very low. Mind you don't hit your head.hit something on/against something · I hit my elbow on the corner of that table.get hit · He ran out into the road and almost got hit.· Buildings that had gotten hit by bombs had still not been repaired.
if you bump into something or someone, you hit them with part of your body accidentally when you are walking or running somewhere: · Jim turned suddenly and bumped into me.· The room was dark, and I bumped into the door .
to accidentally and suddenly hit part of your body against something: bump your head/elbow/knee etc: · Babies are always bumping their heads.bump against: · His right leg bumped against the parking brake.
formal if something, especially a heavy object, strikes something or someone, it hits them hard once: · A house nearby had been struck by a falling tree.· The ball struck him in the face.
to hit someone or something extremely hard, especially while moving very fast: · Tyler injured his shoulder when he crashed into Jesse Lyons during practice.· Parts of the satellite crashed into the sea.go crashing into somebody/something: · He stopped suddenly, and I went crashing into him.· Glasses and bottles went crashing to the floor.
to hit someone or something with a short quick movement: · She knocked me with her elbow as she passed.knock against: · The heavy video camera knocked against his hip as he walked.knock into: · She turned and ran, knocking into bystanders as she went.knock something against/into something: · One of the movers knocked the sofa against a doorway.
to hit someone or something hard, often making a noise and hurting someone or damaging something: bang your head/knee/elbow etc: · I banged my head getting into the car.bang something into/against/on etc something: · Tom bashed his knee against the table.· He slipped, banging his guitar against the door.bang/bash into/against: · Kids raced around the playground, banging into each other, screaming, and letting off steam.
if two people or things collide , they accidentally hit each other when they are moving in different directions: · Barker and Mason collided while going for the ball.· When the plates of land that form the earth collide or slide past each other, earthquakes result.collide with: · I backed out of the door and promptly collided with someone. 'I'm sorry,' I said.
to hit your head, knee, elbow etc hard and painfully against something: crack something on/against something: · He slipped and cracked his head on the steps.· Mary cracked her knee on the corner of her desk.
to kill someone to make someone die, especially deliberately or violently: · He claims that he didn't mean to kill his wife.· The police believe the man may kill again.· What the hell were you doing! You could have killed me!· Official sources say that 20 people were killed in last night's air raids.· My sixteen-year-old son Louis was killed by a drunk driver two years ago.
to deliberately kill someone, especially after planning to do it: · Wilson is accused of murdering his daughter and her boyfriend.· One of the country's top judges has been murdered by the Mafia.
to murder an important or famous person, especially for political reasons: · President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.· an attempt to assassinate the Pope
to kill someone by beating them, kicking them, or attacking them with a knife: · The court heard how the man was beaten to death by racist thugs.· A social worker was found stabbed to death in her office last night.· Smith had apparently been kicked to death.
to kill someone by putting a very harmful substance in their food or drink: · He believed that somebody was trying to poison him.· She had already poisoned three members of her own family with arsenic.
to kill someone by holding their face under water for a long time: · He accused his brother of trying to drown him.
to kill someone by pressing on their throat with both hands or with something such as a piece of string so that they cannot breathe: · Police said that the victim had been strangled.· He slid his hands around her neck and tried to strangle her.
informal to kill someone - often used humorously: bump off somebody/bump somebody off: · He kept marrying rich women and then bumping them off.have somebody bumped off (=arrange for someone to be killed): · His uncle decided to have him bumped off.
informal to kill someone, especially because they are a threat or their death would be convenient: · Perhaps his wife had taken the opportunity to do away with her rival.
to meet someone by chance to see someone by chance and talk to them: · I met Jill at the bus stop this morning.· You'll never guess who I met yesterday!· Ron's changed so much, you probably wouldn't recognize him if you met him on the street.
informal to meet someone that you know, by chance: · I'm glad I bumped into you. I wanted to ask you about tomorrow's history test.· I'm sorry I'm late - I ran into an old colleague I hadn't seen for ages.· She's always running into friends that she knows from school.
especially spoken, informal to meet someone by chance: · I saw Penny in town today.· If you see Ted, could you tell him I want to talk to him?
formal to meet someone by chance, especially someone you do not already know: · It was rare that she encountered interesting people through her work.· He encountered the young woman as she was leaving a coffee shop.
to meet other people, especially other people who do the same work as you do, in order to share information, help each other etc: · The conference provided some excellent opportunities for networking and she made some useful business contacts.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
The roof was so low he bumped his head (=his head hit the roof).COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
The roof was so low he bumped his head (=his head hit the roof).· In the distance, Ybreska saw a vehicle approaching, throwing up huge dust-clouds as it bumped along the rutted track.· Soon we see the plane bumping along the runway.· It was a misty Sunday morning and we were bumping along the Ridge Way, near Wantage.· Far from bumping along on the bottom, desperate for money, it is in good heart.· As I bumped along the road on my stomach, my clothing experienced serious stress.
· Her tracksuit and flying jacket dragged on the ground as she slid and bumped down into the blackness.· As he raced and bumped down the track, the helicopter suddenly lifted and flew forward, leaving him on his own.
· You just bumped into it and it toppled.· Just carrying on as normal, just bumping along the bottom.
· Is he there to bump off Jim?· Mead was bumped off major cases and firm committees, then given only administrative duties, the lawsuit alleges.· But neither could you escape the fact that it seemed specifically designed for bumping off toddlers.· Or bummed out, or bumped off, or some bumptious buckaroo had burst your bubble.· I was afraid that at any moment the car would go bumping off it, into the surrounding desert.· Each is a hermetically sealed universe, bumping off the others with very little cross-pollination.· Mrs Cons-Boutboul, it is said, therefore decided to have Mr Perrot bumped off.· Too many banks, bump off a third.
· He breathed a sigh of relief as he bumped over the crest.· Now it bumps over into the next cluster and in effect fills it up, too.· Behind his head the lights of the lorry were flashing as it bumped over the hard ridges of ice.· She went faster and faster, swinging round corners, bumping over uneven patches in the lane.· Marge, the gal who capsized and bumped over the rocks at Chase Rapids, showed us her bottom bruises.· He began to drag the corpse along, its buttocks bumping over the ground.
· They know that it bumps up sales figures.· The oil company declined to say how much more it might bump up prices to cover its costs.· Merrydown has bumped up production facilities to cope with the expected demand.· Although Dole is bumping up against the federal spending ceiling, he could opt to ignore it altogether.· Even the compere, noted for his own style in suits, tried to bump up the bidding.· They bumped up the stumpy hillside.· I had hoped for thirty on the paved road to bump up the average before the open desert at Adrar.· Supplies of natural gas are tight, with prices rising as growing demand bumped up against recent production declines.
NOUN· I was afraid that at any moment the car would go bumping off it, into the surrounding desert.· The car bumped in and out of potholes.· She got into the car, bumping herself everywhere.· The car was closer, bumping heavily over the rough track.· Tug watched the back of the police car bump its way up the track.· All those cars bumping into one another.· The car bumped up the unmetalled drive, clambering towards the sunlight again.
· Max Hess, Folkestone, Kent I bumped into a friend the other day but had forgotten his name.· Notes & Queries Joseph Harker I bumped into a friend, but had forgotten his name.
· Chris bumped his head again while snorkelling and now has rather an impressive bandage!· Getting up from rummaging in the wastepaper basket, she bumped her head, very lightly, on the sink.· I waited ten more minutes, then raised the latch and eased the door open until it bumped against his head.· He went on to bump his head on a beam.· Occasional low lintels bumped and scraped his head in the blackness.· She tried to get up on all fours, and bumped her head on the underside of the bed.· I went up slowly, taking myself as high as I could without bumping my head against the ceiling.
· From time to time they bumped into each other.· One argument is that the particles of matter and antimatter began bumping into each other and annihilating.· Only a handful of visitors can browse without bumping into each other.· Meanwhile, opponents build their empires, and eventually the civilizations bump into each other.· People grinned and found seats by lightly bumping into each other and murmured soft apologies.
· I run after her, bumping against people in my rush.· He would bump into too many people who knew him.· He bumped into people without realising it, walked into walls and was almost run over by Tock in his protective case.· I carry on walking down the street, careful not to bump into people so I don't fall over again.· The pavement's too crowded to walk on without bumping into people, so I step off and walk in the gutter.
VERB· And when I pretended to be a horse I got so excited I bumped into this litter bin and fell over.· We stay true to our system until we get bumped out.· Occasionally, comets even get bumped into orbits that send them crashing into the sun.· But who ever heard of getting bumped from a cruise?· Some people get goose bumps when they hear a symphony or behold the valley from the top of a mountain.
· It's all crowded with all these trolleys and I keep bumping into them.· In fact, they keep bumping into one another.· Sadly that corner, like the proverbial corner the economy keeps bumping against, was not turned.· As a result he kept bumping into everybody.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to hit or knock against somethingbump against- Adai can come back to Earth after Gog is dead - after I am dead, perhaps.
- AIr travellers came down to earth with a bump yesterday when they joined in some charity aerobics.
- In Karuzi you quickly come down to earth.
- Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.
- Peter Lilley came down to earth.
- They recently have come down to Earth.
I ran after him, bumping against people in my hurry.bump into Tim was a clumsy boy, always bumping into the furniture.bump something on something She bumped her arm on the table. The roof was so low he bumped his head (=his head hit the roof).► see thesaurus at hit2[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move up and down as you move forward, especially in a vehicle: A police car bumped down the track.bump along The plane was bumping along the runway.3[transitive always + adverb/preposition] to push or pull something somewhere in an irregular or unsteady way: Flora was bumping her bags down the steps.4[transitive] informal to move someone or something into a different class or group, or to remove them from a class or group altogether: The flight was overbooked, and Dad was the first one to be bumped.bump somebody up to/out of/from etc something The reforms bumped many families off the state-provided health care list.5[transitive] to move a radio or television programme to a different time: ‘Married with Children’ will be bumped from Sundays to Saturdays.bump into somebody phrasal verb to meet someone who you know, when you were not expecting to SYN run into: I bumped into Jean in town.bump somebody ↔ off phrasal verb informal to kill someonebump something ↔ up phrasal verb to suddenly increase something by a large amount: Prices were bumped up by 10 percent last week.bump1 verbbump2 noun
bumpbump2 ●●○ noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a bump in the road
- A small bump had started to develop over Irene's eye.
- At night, the old house seemed to be full of strange creaks and bumps.
- I nearly stumbled over a bump in the ground.
- I was backing up when I felt a bump.
- Martin sat down suddenly with a bump.
- The car rattled every time it went over a bump.
- Anderson wound up taking him to the hospital, where Smyth was treated for a sprained ankle and bumps and bruises.
- Further discussion is cut short by a bump that interposes a few bodies between us.
- Had she driven over a bump in the road too violently?
- The sound of the rain made me cold, brought up goose bumps.
- This method is particularly suitable for removing minor bumps in the landscape, the new level blending naturally in with the surroundings.
THESAURUS
damage to part of your body caused by an accident or an attack: · The passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
an injury, especially a deep cut in your skin made by a knife, bullet, or bomb: · He died of a gunshot wound to the head.
a small injury made when a sharp object cuts your skin: · Blood was running from a cut on his chin.
a dark mark on your skin that you get when you fall or get hit: · Jack often comes home from playing rugby covered in bruises.
a small injury that marks your skin or breaks the surface slightly: · She fell off her bike and got a few grazes on her legs and knees.
a long deep cut: · He had a deep gash across his forehead.
an area of skin that is swollen because you have hit it against something: · How did you get that bump on your head?
an injury to your ankle, wrist, knee etc, caused by suddenly twisting it: · It’s a slight sprain – you should rest your ankle for a week.
an injury to a muscle caused by stretching it or using it too much: · a muscle strain in his neck
a crack or broken part in a bone: · a hip fracture
Longman Language Activatorsounds made by something hitting or falling onto something a loud sound caused especially when something hard or heavy hits something else or falls on a surface: · I heard a loud bang - it sounded like something had fallen down upstairs.make a bang: · Small children are often frightrened of fireworks that make a bang.close/land/collide etc with a bang: · The lid of the box fell shut with a bang.
the low dull sound produced when something heavy but soft hits something else or falls on a surface: · I heard a shot, followed by a thud as his body hit the floor.hit/drop/land etc with a thud: · A snowball hit her on the back of the neck with a soft thud.the thud of: · Suddenly we heard the thud of horses' hooves.
a loud sudden very sharp sound like the sound of a stick being broken: · The branch broke with a sudden crack.· As I hit the floor, I heard a loud crack in my arm.
the very loud sound produced when something hard such as metal or glass hits something else or falls on a surface, especially when damage is caused: · There was a loud crash in the bedroom and my dad started yelling.fall/land/hit etc something with a crash: · The whole tray of dishes fell to the floor with a crash.
the loud sound produced when a lot of hard things hit against each other or hit a hard surface: · The clatter in the kitchen told me that Mum was already up.fall/drop etc something with a clatter: · Bert put down his tools with a clatter, and looked round the room.the clatter of something: · Just then there was the clatter of hooves on the road outside.
the dull, fairly quiet sound produced when something such as part of your body hits something or falls against a surface: · At night, the old house seemed to be full of strange creaks and bumps.fall/sit down/hit etc something with a bump: · Martin sat down suddenly with a bump.
the dull, fairly loud sound produced when something heavy suddenly hits something else or falls hard on a surface: · There was a loud thump as Eddie threw Luther back against the wall.hit something/fall etc with a thump: · A suitcase toppled off the top of the wardrobe and landed on the floor with a thump.
something that sticks out something, especially a part of the body, that sticks out in a rounded shape: · Her tailored suit fitted neatly, hiding the slight bulges of middle-age.· At five months pregnant, the bulge was beginning to show.
something, especially something small, that sticks up in a rounded shape from your skin or from a surface: · She saw a lump under the bedclothes.· He put the gun in his pocket, where it made a slight lump.· He had a lump on his forehead the size of a golf ball.
something that sticks up in a rounded shape, especially from the surface of something: · The car rattled every time it went over a bump.· A small bump had started to develop over Irene's eye.· I nearly stumbled over a bump in the ground.
WORD SETSablaze, adjectiveacoustic, adjectiveacoustics, nounaglow, adjectivebaa, verbbabble, verbbabble, nounbabel, nounbaby talk, nounbackfire, verbbackground, nounbang, nounbang, verbbang, interjectionbark, verbbark, nounbattle cry, nounbay, verbbeat, verbbeat, nounbellow, verbbellow, nounblare, verbblast, nounbleat, verbbleep, nounbleep, verbblip, nounbong, nounboom, nounboom, verbbowwow, interjectionbrassy, adjectivebray, verbbrazen, adjectivebreathy, adjectivebubble, verbbump, nounchatter, verbchatter, nounclink, verbclink, nouncrack, verbcrack, nouncrackle, verbcrackling, nouncrash, verbcrash, nouncreak, verbcreaky, adjectivecroak, verbcroak, nouncrow, nouncrow, verbcrunch, nouncrunch, verbding-dong, noundiscord, noundiscordant, adjectivedrone, verbdrone, noundrown, verbdrum, verbdrumbeat, noundrumming, noundull, adjectiveecho, verbecho, nounfizz, verbflat, adjectivefootfall, nounfootstep, nounfusillade, noungrinding, adjectivegroan, verbgroan, noungrunt, verbgrunt, nounguffaw, verbgunshot, nounguttural, adjectivehigh, adjectivehigh, adverbhiss, verbindistinct, adjectiveirregular, adjectivelow, verbmarbled, adjectivematching, adjectivemellow, adjectivemelodic, adjectivemelodious, adjectivemetallic, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmodulate, verbmonotone, nounmoo, verbmurmur, verbmurmur, nounmusical, adjectivemusically, adverbmute, verbnasal, adjectivenoise, nounoink, interjectionoof, interjectionpatter, verbpatter, nounpeal, nounpeal, verbpenetrating, adjectivepercussion, nounpsychedelic, adjectivepulse, nounputter, verbquack, verbquack, nounquaver, nounracket, nounrasp, verbrasp, nounraspberry, nounrat-a-tat, nounrattle, nounraucous, adjectivereedy, adjectivereport, nounresonance, nounresonant, adjectiveresonate, verbresonator, nounresound, verbresounding, adjectivereverberate, verbreverberation, nounrich, adjectivering, nounring, verbringing, adjectiveripple, verbripple, nounroar, nounroaring, adjectiveroll, verbrough, adjectiverustle, verbrustle, nounscratch, verbscratch, nounscream, verbscream, nounscrunch, verbsmoky, adjectivesnarl, verbsoft, adjectivesoft-spoken, adjectivesonorous, adjectivesotto voce, adverbsplosh, verbsweet, adjectiveswoosh, verbtick-tock, nountinny, adjectivetonal, adjectivevivid, adjectivevowel, nounwail, verbweak, adjectivewhack, nounwham, interjectionwhine, verbwhinny, verbwhirr, verbwhistle, verbwhistle, nounyelp, nounyowl, verbzoom, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Rose fell, landing with a bump.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
Rose fell, landing with a bump.· However, this was different. Goose bumps pocked his bare flesh.· The sound of the rain made me cold, brought up goose bumps.· If he gets goose bumps, we may never know.· As they ran, the cool air animated them and raised goose bumps on their glistening flesh.
· It stopped an admiring eye like a visual speed bump.· Rob hit the speed bumps fast, a nonverbal message to the guard.· The roughest road they will likely encounter is a parking lot studded with speed bumps.· In the big picture, the Rams were nothing more than a speed bump on the road toward the Super Bowl.· Internet advertising, until recently flourishing, is hitting its first speed bump.· Down the road, these are speed bumps to address.
VERB· If he gets goose bumps, we may never know.· But Louvin got a good bump from Elliot and Clark.
· A car was coming up the track at high speed, creaking and groaning as it went over the bumps.· Reznor was not aware of it, however, and was somewhat surprised to find nasty things going bump in the night.· Back there, he said, did you see me go over that bump?· Things that go bump in the night.
· If you hit a bump you banged your head on the top of the hatch.· Rob hit the speed bumps fast, a nonverbal message to the guard.· The only problem is that some have a tendency to shake the bars if you hit a bump mid-corner.· Internet advertising, until recently flourishing, is hitting its first speed bump.· The steamroller had hit a bump, but for the time being it was back on course.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1an area of skin that is raised because you have hit it on something: - Adai can come back to Earth after Gog is dead - after I am dead, perhaps.
- AIr travellers came down to earth with a bump yesterday when they joined in some charity aerobics.
- In Karuzi you quickly come down to earth.
- Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.
- Peter Lilley came down to earth.
- They recently have come down to Earth.
She has a bump on the back of her head. He had a few injuries, mostly bumps and bruises.► see thesaurus at injury2a small raised area on a surface: The car hit a bump on the road. → speed bump3the sound or sudden movement of something hitting a hard surface: We heard a bump in the next room.fall/sit down etc with a bump Rose fell, landing with a bump.4informal a small accident in which your car hits something but you are not hurt