lump

1 of 4

noun

ˈləmp

Synonyms of lump next

: a piece or mass of indefinite size and shape

a lump of coal

a lump of clay

: aggregate, totality

taken in the lump

: majority

few candidates ever started with such a lump who did not get the nomination—

R. L. Strout

: protuberance

especially : an abnormal swelling

came to with nothing more than a lump on his head

: a person who is heavy and awkward

a lump of a man

also : one who is stupid or dull

lumps plural

: beatings, bruises

had taken a lot of lumps growing up in the city

: defeat, loss

can cheerfully take his lumps on losers, because the payout is big on the winners—

Martin Mayer

lump

2 of 4

verb (1)

lumped; lumping; lumps

transitive verb

: to group indiscriminately

: to make into lumps

also : to make lumps on or in

: to move noisily and clumsily

intransitive verb

: to become formed into lumps

: to move oneself noisily and clumsily

lump

3 of 4

adjective

: not divided into parts : entire

a lump sum

lump

4 of 4

verb (2)

lumped; lumping; lumps

transitive verb

: to put up with

like it or lump it

Phrases

lump in one's throat

: a constriction of the throat caused by emotion

Example Sentences

Noun turning a lump of clay into a beautiful pot He got a lump on his head after bumping into the doorway.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

What to Consider When Selecting a Portable Grill Type of Fuel Portable grills are fueled by lump and briquette charcoal or propane, each with its own advantages. —

Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 28 Apr. 2023 In 2007, Criss discovered a lump on his chest while working out. —

Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2023 The first episode of the new season will feature Kenny who was born with a rare condition that causes hundreds of lumps to grow all over his body. —

Josie Howell | , al, 6 Apr. 2023 An ultrasound of her hand showed that the lump appeared to be a cyst filled with fluid. —

Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023 The mechanism is just one way that scientists are realizing that asteroids can be active, dynamic places rather than quiescent lumps of rock. —

Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Mar. 2023 At a press conference in February 2022 Musk said that in a few years the cost might come down to as little as $10 million, but again his claims should be taken with a Mars-sized lump of salt. —

Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2023 To some degree, tires are about as unsexy and primitive as the lump of rubber many people mistake them for. —

Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 3 May 2023 Hvegholm returned home with a swollen lump on her forehead and was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, according to her family. —

Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 1 May 2023

Verb

Of particular issue is whether the new rules will fairly distinguish between small nonprofits with fewer resources and larger ones that wield major influence, as well as whether unions should be lumped in with nonprofits at all. —

Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2023 That fact helps explain why the Sox are lumped with the Orioles as the bottom teams in the division, clearly behind three teams (the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Rays) that are generally expected to be among the best in baseball. —

Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023 To stand callously by and watch indignity lumped upon depravity heaped upon agony is utterly inhuman. —

Thomas Sadoski, CNN, 2 Mar. 2023 The United States Census will often lump together cities and call them a metropolitan statistical area or MSA. —

Roger Valdez, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2022 Or that even though Orange Beach is listed, it’s sort of lumped in with Gulf Shores. —

Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 17 May 2023 The state’s enrollment figures released in April lumped TK and kindergarten enrollment together, but the LAO estimates that just over half of eligible TK students signed up in the first year of the expansion. —

Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2023 He’s not generally lumped in with the other AI pioneers because his research interests diverged from theirs. —

John Mccarthy, IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2023 Kitchen islands, on the other hand, can often get lumped into the boring, functional category. —

Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 5 May 2023

Adjective

The Malaysian government has offered monthly assistance to the unemployed and lump payments to workers in certain sectors. —

Matt Apuzzo, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2020 The menu includes grilled salmon salad on a corn tostada, red fish with tomato artichoke beurre blanc sauce, enchiladas with lump crab meat, chocolate strawberries and churros. —

Audrey Eads, Dallas News, 7 Feb. 2020 This means making sure you get paid for all your unused vacation time or PTO, and, if applicable, understanding the options for your company stock and pension (for example, single life, lump sum, or joint with survivor). —

Nathan Bachrach And Amy Wagner, Cincinnati.com, 4 Feb. 2020 States under the total lump sum block-grant model would be required to keep health service spending at a level of at least 80% of the target. —

Stephanie Armour, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2020 Under the wages provision in the new contract, a firefighter who has been on the force for five years, earning $57,900, would get a 5 percent lump sum payment of $2,895. —

Joshua Fechter, ExpressNews.com, 24 Jan. 2020 If that funding is converted to a block grant, a state could get a limited, lump sum of federal money instead. —

Stephanie Armour, WSJ, 19 Jan. 2020 Members will also receive raises equal to 6% of wages over the life of the contract, and two lump sum payments equal to 4% of annual wages. —

Chris Isidore, CNN, 11 Dec. 2019 In the deal, workers would receive $9,000 before taxes, plus lump sum payments for skilled-trades workers of $1,000 this year and in 2021. —

Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, 16 Nov. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.