1
: a rounded protuberance: such as
a
b
: a fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal (such as a camel, bison, or whale)
2
British
: a fit of depression or sulking
3
: a difficult, trying, or critical phase or obstacle
—often used in the phrase over the hump
humped; humping; humps
1
usually vulgar
: to copulate with
2
: to exert (oneself) vigorously
3
: to make humpbacked : hunch
Synonyms
Examples of hump in a Sentence
Noun
failing her A-levels has certainly given her the hump
a cloud-capped hump straddles the border separating the two countries
Verb
the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains
the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden
Recent Examples on the Web
Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
On its back, scientists observed a hump of up to 13 centimeters (five inches) that was filled with a fatty mass.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024
Other symptoms of Cushing's, according to Tang, can include a hump on the back of the neck, noticeable pink or purple abdominal stretch marks, fatigue and hair growth on the face.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2024
The difference between buffalo hump and dowager’s hump lies in their causes.
—Joy Emeh, Health, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hump 
Noun
Bulls can weigh over 2,000 pounds and stand at around six feet tall, as measured by the characteristic hump over their front shoulders.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
On its back, scientists observed a hump of up to 13 centimeters (five inches) that was filled with a fatty mass.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024
Other symptoms of Cushing's, according to Tang, can include a hump on the back of the neck, noticeable pink or purple abdominal stretch marks, fatigue and hair growth on the face.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2024
The difference between buffalo hump and dowager’s hump lies in their causes.
—Joy Emeh, Health, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hump
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hump
Cite this Entry
“Hump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hump. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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