clump

1 of 3

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 3

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

clumpy

3 of 3

adjective

ˈkləm-pē 

-er/-est

: composed of clumps : abounding in clumps : growing in clumps

Synonyms of clump

Noun

• cluster
• batch
• bunch
• collection
• array
• grouping
• group
• assemblage

Verb

• shuffle
• stomp
• stumble
• lump
• slough

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

Lungwort is a slow grower, forming dense clumps over time. —Lauren David, Southern Living, 4 June 2026

Was there really nothing more standing in her way than a pea-size clump of cells? —Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Verb

Its porous nature gives it the ability to aerate the soil for better drainage, so the dirt doesn’t clump together and plant roots have room to expand and don’t stay wet for prolonged periods. —Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 6 June 2026

The drug is designed to rapidly block platelets from clumping and restricting blood flow, lessening the adverse outcomes of a heart attack. —Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

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