Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense bumps, present participle bumping, past tense, past participle bumped
1. verb
If you bump into something or someone, you accidentally hit them while you are moving.
They stopped walking and he almost bumped into them. [V + into/against]
There was a jerk as the boat bumped against something. [Vinto/against n]
He bumped his head on the low beams of the house. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: knock, hit, strike, crash More Synonyms of bump
Bump is also a noun.
Small children often cry after a minor bump.
2. countable noun
A bump is the action or the dull sound of two heavy objects hitting each other.
I felt a little bump and I knew instantly what had happened.
The child took five steps, and then sat down with a bump.
Synonyms: thud, crash, knock, smash More Synonyms of bump
3. countable noun
A bump is a minor injury or swelling that you get if you bump into something or if something hits you.
She fell against our coffee table and got a large bump on her forehead. [+ on]
Synonyms: lump, swelling, bulge, hump More Synonyms of bump
4. countable noun
If you have a bump while you are driving a car, you have a minor accident in which you hit something.
[informal]
5. countable noun
A bump on a road is a raised, uneven part.
The truck hit a bump and bounced.
Synonyms: hump, lump, knot, knob More Synonyms of bump
6. verb
If a vehicle bumpsover a surface, it travels in a rough, bouncing way because the surface is very uneven.
We left the road, and again bumped over the mountainside. [VERB preposition/adverb]
The aircraft bumped along erratically without gathering anything like sufficientspeed. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: jerk, shake, bounce, rattle More Synonyms of bump
7. See also goose bumps
8.
See with a bump
Phrasal verbs:
See bump into
See bump off
See bump up
More Synonyms of bump
bump in British English
(bʌmp)
verb
1. (whenintr, usually foll by against or into)
to knock or strike with a jolt
2. (intransitive; often foll byalong)
to travel or proceed in jerks and jolts
3. (transitive)
to hurt by knocking
he bumped his head on the ceiling
4. (transitive)
to knock out of place; dislodge
the crash bumped her from her seat
5. (transitive) British
to throw (a child) into the air, one other child holding each limb, and let him or her down again to touch the ground
6.
(in rowing races, esp at Oxford and Cambridge) to catch up with and touch (another boat that started a fixed distance ahead)
7. cricket
to bowl (a ball) so that it bounces high on pitching or (of a ball) to bounce high when bowled
8. (intransitive) mainly US and Canadian
to dance erotically by thrusting the pelvis forward (esp in the phrase bump and grind)
9. (transitive) poker
to raise (someone)
10. (transitive) informal
to exclude a ticket-holding passenger from a flight as a result of overbooking
11. (transitive) informal
to displace (someone or something) from a previously allocated position
the story was bumped from the front page
12. bump uglies
noun
13.
an impact; knock; jolt; collision
14.
a dull thud or other noise from an impact or collision
15.
the shock of a blow or collision
16.
a lump on the body caused by a blow
17.
a protuberance, as on a road surface
18.
any of the natural protuberances of the human skull, said by phrenologists to indicate underlying faculties and character
19.
a rising current of air that gives an aircraft a severe upward jolt
20. (plural)
the act of bumping a child. See sense 5
21. rowing
the act of bumping
bumping race
22. bump ball
Word origin
C16: probably of imitative origin
bump in American English
(bʌmp)
verb transitive
1.
to hit or knock against with a jolt; collide lightly with
2. US, Slang
to displace, as from a job or plane reservation
3. US, Slang
to raise (a price, a bet in poker, etc.)
verb intransitive
4.
to collide with a jolt
5.
to move with jerks or jolts
noun
6.
a light blow or jolt
7.
a swelling or lump, esp. one caused by a blow
8.
in phrenology, any of the protuberances of the skull as interpreted with reference to one's mental faculties
9. US, Slang
a thrusting movement forward of the lower part of the torso, as in striptease dancing
see also grind (sense 16)
Idioms:
bump into
bump off
Word origin
echoic
More idioms containing
bump
bump along the bottom
Examples of 'bump' in a sentence
bump
It was a bump in the road.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
They've stopped fretting about lumps and bumps the way they once did.
The Sun (2016)
I bet your marriage has bumps in the road too an' all.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
I've seen a fair few people with lumps and bumps when off duty.
The Sun (2017)
He explained:'On return from summer holidays we had a steep rise in head bumps.
The Sun (2016)
I still get goose bumps remembering the moment Crystal Serenity sailed into the sea ice.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You get dirty and sweaty and little bumps and bruises.
The Sun (2008)
But there could be some bumps ahead.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Sounds like a much easier approach to bumping your car.
The Sun (2013)
They are common following a bump on the head.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The swing style of the jacket is perfect for hiding any lumps and bumps you might have.
The Sun (2013)
They had accidentally bumped heads kneeling over to pick up their jackets.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Things are still in the early stages and there may be some bumps along the road.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We touch down and bump slowly to a halt.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But there are a couple of little speed bumps in the road.
The Sun (2016)
We hit a bump and took off.
Oliver Poole BLACK KNIGHTS: On the Bloody Road to Baghdad (2003)
Just when it seems the bumps have come to an end, down we go again.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There are legal and ethical speed bumps ahead, too.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Yes it's true other stories get bumped.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
One breathless resident said that he had just seen blood spilling out of the back of an ambulance as it jolted over a bump.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They also continue to iron out the bumps and resurface large swathes to make the layout more akin to a race track than a street scene.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
bump
British English: bump /bʌmp/ NOUN
A bump is an accidental knock or collision.
Small children often cry after a minor bump.
American English: bump
Arabic: ضَرْبَة
Brazilian Portuguese: pancada surda
Chinese: 撞击
Croatian: sudar
Czech: náraz
Danish: bump
Dutch: buil
European Spanish: topetazo
Finnish: töyssy
French: bosse
German: Plumps
Greek: πρόσκρουση
Italian: urto
Japanese: 衝突
Korean: 충돌
Norwegian: hump
Polish: uderzenie wstrząs
European Portuguese: pancada surda
Romanian: ciocnire
Russian: столкновение
Latin American Spanish: tropezón
Swedish: stöt
Thai: การชน
Turkish: çarpma
Ukrainian: удар
Vietnamese: sự va mạnh
British English: bump VERB
If you bump into something or someone, you accidentally hit them while you are moving.
They stopped walking and he almost bumped into them.
He bumped his hip painfully against a sharp edge.
American English: bump
Brazilian Portuguese: topar
Chinese: 撞上
European Spanish: chocar
French: se cogner
German: anrempeln
Italian: andare addosso
Japanese: ぶつかる
Korean: 우연히 부딪치다
European Portuguese: chocar
Latin American Spanish: chocar
All related terms of 'bump'
bump up
If you bump up an amount, you increase it suddenly , usually by a lot .
bump ball
a ball that bounces into the air after being hit directly into the ground by the batsman
bump into
If you bump into someone you know , you meet them unexpectedly.
bump off
To bump someone off means to kill them.
fist bump
a gesture of congratulation or greeting in which two people briefly connect clenched fists together
booty bump
a method of administering the recreational drug methamphetamine , in which the drug is mixed with water then injected into the rectum with a needleless syringe
bump start
a method of starting a motor vehicle by engaging a low gear with the clutch depressed and pushing it or allowing it to run down a hill until sufficient momentum has been acquired to turn the engine by releasing the clutch
bump stock
a gunstock that can be fitted to a rifle to allow it to fire like an automatic firearm
bump uglies
to have sexual intercourse
speed bump
a raised band across a road , designed to make motorists reduce their speed , esp in built-up areas
with a bump
If someone comes down to earth with a bump , they suddenly start recognizing unpleasant facts after a period of time when they have not been doing this.
bump along the bottom
to reach a low level of performance , and not get any better or any worse
come down to earth
to have to face the reality of everyday life after a period of great excitement
Chinese translation of 'bump'
bump
(bʌmp)
n(c)
(= swelling) (on head) 肿(腫)包 (zhǒngbāo) (个(個), gè)
(= jolt) 重击(擊) (zhòngjī) (下, xià)
(inf, in car, = minor accident) 碰撞 (pèngzhuàng)
(on road) 隆起物 (lóngqǐwù) (个(個), gè)
vt
(= strike) 碰 (pèng)
vi
(= jolt)[car]颠簸 (diānbǒ)
1 (verb)
He bumped his head on the low beam.
Synonyms
knock
He was mucking around and he knocked her in the stomach.
hit
She hit him hard across his left arm.
strike
She took two steps forward and struck him across the mouth.
crash
When the market crashed they assumed the deal would be cancelled.
smash
The train smashed into the car at 40 mph.
slam
She slammed the door and locked it behind her.
bang
We could bang on the desks and shout until they let us out.
2 (verb)
Definition
to travel or proceed in jerks and jolts
We left the road again and bumped over the mountainside.
Synonyms
jerk
The car jerked to a halt.
shake
bounce
rattle
He gently rattled the cage and whispered to the canary.
jar
The impact jarred his arm, right up to the shoulder.
jog
lurch
jolt
The train jolted into motion.
jostle
We spent an hour jostling with the crowds as we did our shopping.
jounce
3 (verb)
Synonyms
move
She waited for him to get up, but he didn't move.
remove
They tried to remove the barricades which had been erected.
shift
We shifted the vans and used the area for skateboarding.
displace
A strong wind is all it would take to displace the stones.
budge
I pulled and pulled but I couldn't budge it.
dislodge
Use a hoof pick to dislodge stones and dirt from your horse's feet.
1 (noun)
Definition
an impact
Small children often cry after a minor bump.
Synonyms
knock
The bags have tough exterior materials to protect against knocks.
hit
a hit on the head
blow
He went off to hospital after a blow to the face.
shock
Steel barriers can bend and absorb the shock.
impact
The car was destroyed on impact.
rap
There was a light rap on the door.
collision
Their van was involved in a collision with a car.
thump
He felt a thump on his shoulder.
2 (noun)
I felt a little bump and knew instinctively what had happened.
Synonyms
thud
She tripped and fell with a sickening thud.
crash
Two people in the flat recalled hearing a loud crash about 1.30am.
knock
They heard a knock at the front door.
smash
the smash of falling crockery
bang
a nasty bang on the head
smack
thump
There was a loud thump as the horse crashed into the van.
clump
wallop (informal)
With a single wallop, Clarke sent him flying.
clunk
clonk
3 (noun)
Definition
a lump on the body caused by a blow
She got a large bump on her forehead.
Synonyms
lump
swelling
There is some swelling and he is being detained for observation.
bulge
Why won't those bulges on your hips and thighs go?
hump
node
Cut the branches off cleanly through the stem just below the node.
nodule
protuberance
a protuberance on the upper jawbone
contusion (formal)
He had lacerations and contusions all over his arm and shoulder.
4 (noun)
Definition
a raised uneven part, such as on a road surface
The truck hit a bump and bounced.
Synonyms
hump
The path goes over a large hump by a tree.
lump
I've got a lump on my shoulder.
knot
knob
a loose brass knob on the bedstead
Phrasal verbs
See bump into someone
See bump into something
See bump someone off
See bump something up
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bang
Definition
to hit or knock, esp. with a loud noise
We could bang on the desks and shout until they let us out.
Synonyms
hit,
pound,
beat,
strike,
crash,
knock,
belt (informal),
hammer,
slam,
rap,
bump,
bash (informal),
thump,
clatter,
pummel,
tonk (informal),
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of bang
Definition
a hard blow or loud knock
a nasty bang on the head
Synonyms
blow,
hit,
box,
knock,
stroke,
punch,
belt (informal),
rap,
bump,
bash (informal),
sock (slang),
smack,
thump,
buffet,
clout (informal),
cuff,
clump (slang),
whack,
wallop (informal),
slosh (British, slang),
tonk (informal),
clomp (slang)
in the sense of blow
Definition
a powerful or heavy stroke with the fist, a weapon, etc.