1
: a rounded protuberance: such as
a
b
: a fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal (such as a camel, bison, or whale)
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; humping; humps
1
usually vulgar
: to copulate with
2
: to exert (oneself) vigorously
3
: to make humpbacked : hunch
Synonyms
Examples of hump in a Sentence
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
Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 20 June 2024
Jayson Smith, High jump, Dwyer sophomore: Improved his high hump by 10 inches over his freshman year; finished fifth in the region; season-best 6-3 ½ in winning the district title; second at county meet in high jump; also did triple jump (41-3 ¼).
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2024
The curb extensions were installed in the Crossroads and other neighborhoods as part of Kansas City’s Vision Zero project, which also includes putting in speed humps and raised crosswalks as part of an effort to reduce deaths in the area.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2024
The key is to concentrate on deepwater structure and fish with live bait, either slowly trolling or drifting around humps and breaklines, usually right where the bottom begins to flatten out.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hump 
Noun
Black bears have larger, pointed ears, a straight face profile, no hump and 1-2 inch long claws.
—Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 20 June 2024
Jayson Smith, High jump, Dwyer sophomore: Improved his high hump by 10 inches over his freshman year; finished fifth in the region; season-best 6-3 ½ in winning the district title; second at county meet in high jump; also did triple jump (41-3 ¼).
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2024
The curb extensions were installed in the Crossroads and other neighborhoods as part of Kansas City’s Vision Zero project, which also includes putting in speed humps and raised crosswalks as part of an effort to reduce deaths in the area.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2024
The key is to concentrate on deepwater structure and fish with live bait, either slowly trolling or drifting around humps and breaklines, usually right where the bottom begins to flatten out.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hump
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hump
Cite this Entry
“Hump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hump. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share