hump
1 of 2noun
ˈhəmp 
1
: a rounded protuberance: such as
a
: humpback sense 1
b
: a fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal (such as a camel, bison, or whale)
c(1)
: mound, hummock
(2)
: mountain, range
the Himalayan hump
2
British : a fit of depression or sulking
3
: a difficult, trying, or critical phase or obstacle —often used in the phrase over the hump
humped
ˈhəm(p)t
adjective hump
2 of 2verb
humped; humping; humps
transitive verb
1
usually vulgar : to copulate with
2
: to exert (oneself) vigorously
3
: to make humpbacked : hunch
4
chiefly British : to put or carry on the back : lug
also : transport
intransitive verb
1
: to exert oneself : hustle
2
: to move swiftly : race
Synonyms
Noun
- grouch
- pet
- pouts
- snit
- sulk
- sulkiness
- sullenness
Verb
- bang away
- beaver (away)
- dig (away)
- drudge
- endeavor
- fag
- grub
- hustle
- labor
- moil
- peg (away)
- plod
- plow
- plug
- slave
- slog
- strain
- strive
- struggle
- sweat
- toil
- travail
- tug
- work
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun failing her A-levels has certainly given her the hump a cloud-capped hump straddles the border separating the two countries Verb the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 25 Aug. 2022 So why have the Rams not been able to get over the hump against their NFC West rival? Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2022 The Bulldogs are the unsurprising unanimous choice at No. 1 after finally getting over the hump against nemesis Alabama in a memorable championship game. Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2022 Can the Colts finally get over the hump against an AFC contender? Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Nov. 2021 The Bears prioritize beating the Packers and winning division games, and getting over the hump against the Packers has proved difficult. Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, 22 Oct. 2021 So how did the Lancers (2-0), ranked fifth by The Chronicle, get over the hump against the nation’s No. 12 team and No. 1 in the Bay Area for 30 years? Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Sep. 2021 Will new coach Jordan Stevens get Maine over the hump? Eamonn Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 Each game has gotten progressively closer, and this might be the opportune time for Norvell to get over the hump. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 29 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
South Oldham led 1-0 and 2-1 — both goals coming from senior Ally Byrd — but couldn’t get over the hump against the Valkyries. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 25 Aug. 2022 So why have the Rams not been able to get over the hump against their NFC West rival? Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2022 The Bulldogs are the unsurprising unanimous choice at No. 1 after finally getting over the hump against nemesis Alabama in a memorable championship game. Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2022 Can the Colts finally get over the hump against an AFC contender? Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Nov. 2021 The Bears prioritize beating the Packers and winning division games, and getting over the hump against the Packers has proved difficult. Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, 22 Oct. 2021 So how did the Lancers (2-0), ranked fifth by The Chronicle, get over the hump against the nation’s No. 12 team and No. 1 in the Bay Area for 30 years? Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Sep. 2021 Will new coach Jordan Stevens get Maine over the hump? Eamonn Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 Each game has gotten progressively closer, and this might be the opportune time for Norvell to get over the hump. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
akin to Middle Low German hump bump, Dutch homp lump, chunk, Frisian homp, himp
First Known Use
Noun
1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1785, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing hump
Kids Definition
hump
noun
ˈhəmp
1
: a rounded bulge or lump (as on the back of a camel)
2
: a difficult part (as of a task)
With that done, we're over the hump.
Medical Definition
hump
noun
ˈhəmp
: a rounded protuberance
especially : humpback
humping
verb
1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- laboring
- struggling
- working
- tugging
- sweating
- plowing
- drudging
- trying
- hustling
- fagging
- grubbing
- slogging
- plodding
- striving
- straining
- plugging
- slaving
- travailing
- toiling
- moiling
- banging away
- scratching
- attacking
- endeavoring
- sweating blood
- driving
- digging (away)
- trudging
- pegging (away)
- beavering (away)
- scrabbling
- overexerting
- exerting
- wading
- exercising
- digging in
- pitching in
- overworking
- knuckling down
- essaying
- eking out
- buckling (down)
- hammering (away)
- applying (oneself)
- putting out
- grinding (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- breaking
- lounging
- resting
- idling
- lazing
- easing (up)
- bumming
- slackening
- loafing
- lolling
- hanging (around or out)
- chilling
- hanging
- shirking
- playing
- letting up
- dallying
- basking
- hacking (around)
- relaxing
- slacking (off)
- goofing (off)
- unwinding
- goldbricking
- reposing
- dabbling
- footling
- trifling
- dillydallying
- doodling
- vegging out
- fooling around
- goofing (around)
- hanging about
- puttering (around)
- monkeying (around)
- pottering (around)
- fribbling
- messing around
2
as in trotting
to proceed or move quickly the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden Synonyms & Similar Words
- trotting
- flying
- driving
- jumping
- chasing
- racing
- traveling
- speeding
- scurrying
- hurrying
- rushing
- scooting
- zipping
- running
- blowing
- ramming
- stepping
- travelling
- buzzing
- tearing
- blasting
- ripping
- darting
- scuttling
- zooming
- shooting
- jogging
- dashing
- hustling
- whirling
- bolting
- hurling
- barreling
- haring
- bowling
- blazing
- hurtling
- pelting
- galloping
- nipping
- rustling
- careening
- careering
- cannonballing
- rocketing
- belting
- whisking
- motoring
- bombing
- coursing
- bundling
- hastening
- breezing
- hying
- jetting
- scampering
- bustling
- barrelling
- highballing
- hieing
- beating it
- scuffling
- sprinting
- flitting
- streaking
- shaking a leg
- scudding
- accelerating
- stampeding
- whizzing
- making tracks
- stepping on it
- cracking (on)
- getting a move on
- beetling
- hotfooting (it)
- outrunning
- overtaking
- arrowing
- quickening
- stepping out
- outpacing
- outstripping
- beelining
- catching up
- fast-forwarding
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- crawling
- poking
- dragging
- creeping
- poking
- lingering
- lagging
- hanging (around or out)
- loitering
- strolling
- shuffling
- ambling
- dawdling
- sauntering
- plodding
- lumbering
- dallying
- decelerating
- tarrying
- slowing (down or up)
- dillydallying