bump

1 of 2

noun

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
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 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

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
Home hockey games for the Capitals generally produce a moderate bump in business. Ashraf Khalil, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Instead, these have turned into smaller, more predictable bumps in transmission in the summer and winter as the nation reaches a kind of steady state with the virus. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Under a new agreement reached between fast-food companies and labor last year, the referendum will be removed from the November ballot and workers will receive a pay bump to $20 per hour beginning in April. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The 26-year-old’s streaming catalog enjoyed a 32% bump during the first weekend of the tour, from 941,000 streams during Feb. 17-18 to 1.24 million streams during Feb. 24-25. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 His contract also allows for an annual salary bump not exceeding $20,000, depending on the results of the school board’s performance evaluation. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Feb. 2024 The frugality has brought a bump in earnings and share prices for the likes of fast food chain Yum China Holdings Inc. — which operates KFC and Pizza Hut on the mainland — and Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing Co., whose China expansion has also been received positively. Ishika Mookerjee, Fortune Asia, 28 Feb. 2024 Gnarly and dirty, with bumps and tendrils, celery root appears to challenge your imagination. Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 Darden believed that Kouri and Eric had a great relationship, though there were sometimes bumps in the road. Emma Steele, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
The first motorist bumped into the bicyclist and remained on the scene, while a second motorist struck the bicyclist and left the scene, Cottrell said. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 The street wasn’t well lit, and the hostel reared up so suddenly from the footpath and was so tall and bright that walking past it in the dark felt a little like being in a tugboat bumping along the edge of an ocean liner. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Some firms, like Barclays and Goldman Sachs, have already bumped their targets up considerably to account for the latest rally. Derek Saul, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The device hooks onto a rifle’s stock, the part of the gun that is held against the shoulder, and harnesses the energy from the gun’s kickback to bump the stock back and forth, allowing the weapon to fire faster. Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Robust wealth creation, driven in part by a strong U.S. economy, helped bump the threshold higher, the report said. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 Julia Garner, Daisy Edgar Jones, and Mark Ronson were like moths to the dancefloor-flame, with Britney Spears and Cher tunes bumping throughout the space. Vogue, 24 Feb. 2024 Moret was initially hired as a line cook, but Grosse thought his skills still needed some work, and bumped him down to prep for more training. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024 Tuesday’s 71-55 win against Colorado State (after trailing 17-3 and allowing a program-low 11 points in the second half) bumped SDSU’s metrics to 18 in both Kenpom and NET. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bump was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near bump

Cite this Entry

“Bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bump. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bump

1 of 2 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on bump

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