bump

1 of 2

noun

ˈbəmp 

plural bumps

1

: a relatively abrupt convexity or protuberance on a surface: such as

a

: a swelling of tissue

Her face flawless. Not a bump, a splotch or a freckle.

—Katy Kelly

b

: a sudden rise or uneven area in a road surface likely to jolt a passing vehicle

a bump in the road

c

phrenology : a cranial protuberance

2

a

: a sudden forceful blow, impact, or jolt

felt a bump when the boat hit the dock

b

: demotion

3

: an action of thrusting the hips forward with an abrupt suggestive motion (as in a dance or in a burlesque striptease act) compare grind entry 2 sense 4

4

: baby bump

Confirming her pregnancy at the September 6 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West's ex, 28, showed off her bump for the first time on the red carpet.

—Allison Corneau

5

: an increase in amount

a slight bump in wages/prices

… since "Glee" burst on the scene last fall, some local show choirs have seen a bump in auditions …

—Kristin Tillotson

6

slang : a small quantity of an illicit drug when inhaled in powdered form at one time

At her first few shows Savannah did bumps of coke off her pinkie before hitting the stage.

—Peter Wilkinson

7

volleyball : the act or an instance of bumping (see bump entry 2 sense 4) the ball with the forearms

Loara High volleyball player Juli Miles demonstrates how to execute a bump during a match … . As the ball approaches, bring in your elbows and lock them so that your forearms are close to touching, which creates a nice, flat platform for the ball to bounce off.

—Laura Czingula

bump

2 of 2

verb

bumped; bumping; bumps

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike or knock (something, such as a body part) with sudden force or violence

I fell and bumped my head.

He bumped his elbow on/against the table.

b

: to hit and move or dislodge (someone or something)

Be careful not to bump that vase.

She accidentally bumped [= knocked] my drink out of my hand.

One day, when I was lining up to go into … class, another boy accidentally bumped me with his shoulder …

—Simon Troeth

2

a

: to move (someone or something) to a different level, position, rank, etc.

rates being bumped up

The team got bumped out of first place.

Bumping a meeting to the next week only makes the next week more busy.

—Adaira Landry and Resa E. Lewiss

b

: to remove (someone or something) usually by virtue of seniority or priority

The flight was overbooked, so I was bumped.

… opt for the morning to kick-start the day and stop your evening workout getting bumped off the list.

—Janan Jay

3

: to cause (a post or thread on social media) to move to a more prominent and noticeable position

Just wanna bump this tweet again on your feeds …

—LaurenZside, on X, formerly Twitter

Scammers … post about a hurt animal. … They ask the public to "bump the post" and when it is shared widely, they add a malicious link.

—Erin Miller

4

volleyball : to hit (the ball) with the forearms held close together and facing upward (as when receiving a serve)

Hitting a ball with your bare forearms might sound painful, but it won't be if you learn how to bump the ball properly.

—Eric Rinehimer

5

US slang : to play or listen to (recorded music and especially rap)

… a portable DVD/CD player that bumps the new Snoop Dogg through surround-sound speakers …

—Daniel G. Habib

intransitive verb

1

: to strike or knock against something or someone with a sudden forceful thud or jolt

—often used with into or against

The boat bumped against the pier.

They bumped into us from behind.

2

: to proceed in an up and down motion across a rough surface

The truck bumped along the dirt road.

3

: to encounter something that is an obstacle or hindrance

—usually used with into or against

The Americans have pushed off that conversation, which risks bumping into that country's sensitive immigration politics.

—Alexander Panetta

They're bumping against the limits of technology. = They're bumping up against the limits of technology.

Phrases

bump into

: to encounter especially by chance

Synonyms

Noun

• knot
• lump
• node
• nodule
• swelling

Verb

• bang
• bash
• collide
• crash
• hit
• impact
• impinge
• knock
• ram
• slam
• smash
• strike
• swipe
• thud

Examples of bump in a Sentence

Noun

He wound up with a few minor bumps and bruises from the fight.

Did you feel a bump?

Verb

I have a bruise from where I bumped my head.

Be careful not to bump the vase.

You nearly bumped me off the edge!

The jolt bumped him right out of his seat.

They bumped into us from behind.

The boat bumped against the pier.

The TV show will be bumped to a new time.

Increasing fuel costs are bumping the company's prices higher.

The loss bumped us out of first place.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The App Store’s charts reward a combination of the number of installs and the pace of those installs, alongside other metrics, so this bump also has to do with Bluesky’s rate of growth, not just the sheer number of app downloads alone. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Similarly to acne, this condition can cause bumps to be more inflamed than others. —Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 20 Nov. 2024

Verb

But no team has bumped, set, and spiked in recent years with more authority than Merino. —Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024

But this year’s election cycle has been decidedly quieter for bumping the national threshold to $15 an hour. —Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably imitative of the sound of a blow

First Known Use

Noun

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1558, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing bump

• baby bump
• bump into
• bump off
• bump stock
• bump up
• elbow bump
• fist bump
• speed bump
• with a bump

Kids Definition

bump

1 of 2 noun

ˈbəmp 

1

: a forceful blow, shock, or jolt

2

: a rounded lump

especially : a swelling of tissue (as from a blow)

bump

2 of 2 verb

1

: to strike or knock against something with force or violence

2

: to move along unevenly : jolt