clump

1 of 2

noun

ˈkləmp 

1

: a group of things clustered together

a clump of bushes

2

: a compact mass

3

: a heavy tramping sound

clumpy

ˈkləm-pē 

adjective

clump

2 of 2

verb

clumped; clumping; clumps

intransitive verb

1

: to walk or move clumsily and noisily

2

: to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps

Synonyms

Noun

• array
• assemblage
• band
• bank
• batch
• battery
• block
• bunch
• clot
• cluster
• clutch
• collection
• constellation
• group
• grouping
• huddle
• knot
• lot
• muster
• package
• parcel
• passel
• set
• suite

Verb

• barge
• flog [British]
• flounder
• galumph
• lumber
• lump
• plod
• pound
• scuff
• scuffle
• shamble
• shuffle
• slog
• slough
• stamp
• stomp
• stumble
• stump
• tramp
• tromp
• trudge

Examples of clump in a Sentence

Noun

There is a clump of bushes at the edge of the field.

I could hear the clump of his footsteps as he came down the stairs.

Verb

The virus clumps the cells together.

a child clumping around the house in her father's oversized boots

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Existing clot-removal treatments typically involve inserting a device into the affected blood vessel via a catheter, then using that device to either suck up the fibrin clump or snare it then drag it out. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 7 June 2025

With a fork, mash the banana in a separate small bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a few clumps. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 6 June 2025

Verb

The wet clippings clump together on the mower blades and in the lawn. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 June 2025

Long before stars even formed, dark matter clumped up and drew regular matter together with its gravity, providing the invisible scaffolding upon which stars and galaxies eventually grew. —Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Low German klump

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1665, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for clump

• bump
• chump
• crump
• dump
• gump
• hump
• jump
• lump
• plump
• pump
• rump
• slump

Kids Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun

ˈkləmp 

1

: a group of things clustered together

a clump of bushes

2

: a cluster or lump of something

3

: a heavy tramping sound

clumpy

ˈkləm-pē 

adjective

clump

2 of 2 verb

1

: to walk or move clumsily and noisily

2

: to form or cause to form clumps

Medical Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun

ˈkləmp 

: a clustered mass of particles (as bacteria or blood cells) compare agglutination

clump

2 of 2 intransitive verb

: to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps

the serum clumps the bacteria