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 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

Even tiny bumps and turns in the track cause the velocity to fluctuate, and your body can easily feel it. —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024

Kardashian’s bare bump was also on show in the shot. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

My bumps and blackheads simply disappeared, the texture was softened and smoothed, and everything looked brighter. —Annie Blay, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024

Fast food wage bump is off to bad start Gavin Newsom’s $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast food workers has already proven to be a disaster. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024

Levi's got a sales bump from Beyoncé song named after the brand. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

For the money spent, many firms failed to see a corresponding bump in stock value, sales growth, or the acquisition and retention of customers and employees. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024

Even that relatively modest bump does not seem to be forthcoming, however, and that leaves an open field for China. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024

Aluminum underbody panels offer extra protection from scrapes and bumps, too. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024

Verb

Meanwhile, bumped bobs and bouffant wigs were an homage to The Supremes. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 13 Apr. 2024

Their first date was on January 28, 1977, and right away, Rick knocked over a glass of water and bumped his head on a light trying to clean up the mess. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

The professional golf world is bumping along down two separate paths, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, and those have converged at the Masters. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Across Phuket, real estate prices have bumped some 20% owing to the Russian influx, says Bhummikitti. —TIME, 11 Apr. 2024

Souza delivered a two-out, two-run double in the second inning, drew three walks and bumped his batting average to .362. —Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 10 Apr. 2024

At a restaurant in Florida, for example, workers assembling meals for drive-through customers stand on one side of a large island while staff preparing orders to eat in stand on the other—preventing the individuals from bumping into one another. —Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024

The title was eventually bumped to a 2023 release, and soon seemed to disappear altogether. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024

My goal is usually not to bump anyone with my gigantic tennis bag. —Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 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

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

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