bump

noun

\ ˈbəmp

plural bumps

Definition of bump

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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

verb

bumped; bumping; bumps

Definition of bump (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to strike or knock with force or violence

2 : to collide with

3a(1) : to dislodge with a jolt

(2) : to subject to a scalar change rates being bumped up

b : to oust usually by virtue of seniority or priority was bumped from the flight

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, especially rap) … a portable DVD/CD player that bumps the new Snoop Dogg through surround-sound speakers …— Daniel G. Habib

intransitive verb

1 : to knock against something with a forceful jolt

2 : to proceed in or as if in a series of bumps

3 : to encounter something that is an obstacle or hindrance bumped up against a chair

bump into

: to encounter especially by chance

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bump

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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

An infected epidermoid cyst An epidermoid cyst is a non-cancerous bump that can show up pretty much anywhere on your skin, including your belly button, the Mayo Clinic says. — Korin Miller, SELF, "5 Belly Button Infections You Can Get (and What to Do If You Have One)," 23 Feb. 2019 At the same time, his colleague Robert Harrington, also at the Naval Observatory calculated what the elongation should be if the bump was a moon. — Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com, "Celebrating 40 Years of Pluto's Largest Moon, Charon," 14 July 2018 Before the Heat made their run with the Big Three, before their two titles, before making the first of their four NBA FInals, there was a bump in the road called Bumpgate. — Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde5: Riley says in book LeBron wanted him to coach after 'Bumpgate'," 9 Apr. 2018 Chrissy mentioned was yet another major bump in the road for Snap. — Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, "Snapchat Is Rolling Out Group Video Chat and a Tagging Feature for Stories," 3 Apr. 2018 You're really tuned in to the bumps, the joys, the frustrations, the happy days, the miserable days. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "The One Thing You Can Do to Make More Quality Time With Your Partner, According to an Expert," 14 Feb. 2019 Even with the share bump, Groupon (GRPN) stock is down 9 percent so far this year. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "Groupon reportedly shopping around for a buyer," 9 July 2018 Two days before, the suit alleges then-City Manager Joe Helfenberger verbally offered her the position of assistant city manager, which comes with another $20,000 salary bump, in addition to the one received previously. — Ryan Gillespie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Former St. Cloud employee sues city, alleging age and gender discrimination," 14 June 2018 Neighbors and family friends had previously spotted Christopher with apparent injuries that included bumps, bruises and a black eye covered up with makeup, trial testimony revealed. — PEOPLE.com, "'Monster' Mom Who Beat Her Son to Death on His 4th Birthday Gets 35 Years in Prison," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But the likely arrival of a free agent big man could bump Kleber out by this time next month. — Peter Dawson, star-telegram, "Projected starting 5 for the Mavs next season has to include Luka Doncic, right?," 25 June 2018 Trantalis has voted against his salary bump two years in a row. — Meryl Kornfield, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fort Lauderdale city manager defying mayor's call to move on," 23 June 2018 Three of the biggest names in the industry —Friedman’s Flexi-Straw Company, the Lily-Tulip Cup Company, which made popular white straws, and Maryland Cup Company —have bumped around the last 80 years like corporate Forrest Gumps. — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "Disposable America," 21 June 2018 Agudong plays Reagan Willis, who has dreams of becoming a soccer player like Morgan, who shows up in the teenager’s bedroom after Reagan bumps her head. — Jordan Culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando Pride star Alex Morgan makes movie debut in ‘Alex & Me’," 12 June 2018 The new baby will come after his or her dad, but bump uncle Prince Andrew down to eighth. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Expecting Their First Child," 15 Oct. 2018 The Amazon bump has proven to be a powerful rejoinder. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Amazon HQ2: Why some cities feel like winners, despite losing," 28 Sep. 2018 The bank also will not allow its customers to sell what are known as bump stocks and high-capacity magazines. — Alexandra Olson, The Seattle Times, "A look at companies embroiled in recent political debates," 4 Sep. 2018 After bumping into the 66,000-a-year limit for H2-B visas in recent years, businesses have lobbied to either increase the cap or exempt workers who received the visa in recent years from having to reapply. — Ruth Simon, WSJ, "Businesses Report Glitches on Reopened Seasonal-Work Visa Website," 7 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bump.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.