hump 1 of 2

noun

ˈhəmp How to pronounce hump (audio)
Definition of humpnext
1
as in pouts
British a state of resentful silence or irritability failing her A-levels has certainly given her the hump

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mountain
an elevation of land higher than a hill a cloud-capped hump straddles the border separating the two countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hill
an area of high ground the grassy hump at the center of the park is a popular sledding spot during the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hump

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hump
Noun
Who else to argue with about the last humps of the Slinky Dog Dash ride? — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 The challenge for Hynes is to get the Wild over this next hump during what Guerin believes is their Stanley Cup window. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
Poison Ivy Rorshach shimmied in a fishnet bodysuit, swinging her guitar to the band’s big beats from Badsville, while frontman Lux Interior ate his microphone, humped the floor, and then came again (pun intended) as Elvis Fucking Christ. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 All of the animals skidded on the slick ice, but the frantic cow made it to the bank, humped her way to the top, and hooked her front legs over. — Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hump
  1. pouts
  2. mountain
  3. hill
  4. struggle
  5. speed
  6. pet
  7. peak
  8. mound
Noun
  • Most of the time, Mark just flails, complains, and pouts like a giant baby, and Affleck’s twitchy, rapid-fire delivery can’t give the character any life or depth.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Interspersed with Mellencamp’s idiosyncratic views of himself were old press shots of the singer, many without a shirt or showcasing pouts and flexed biceps, that fit the song’s wry message.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of pouts
Noun
  • Hahn said Boise State researchers will contribute to the fight against cancer, help communities further manage water supplies and mountain snowpack, and develop tools to anticipate and mitigate wildfire.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 30 Oct. 2026
  • This will be especially true in the foothills of the Central Valley and up into the mountains, where showers will be more widespread throughout Saturday as cool marine air collides with the Sierra and turns to rain.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of mountain
Noun
  • Article continues below this ad The scenic overlook, which rises above Lake Austin, attracts visitors looking for views of the lake, surrounding hills and downtown skyline.
    — Data Reporter, Austin American Statesman, 29 Oct. 2026
  • His dad had even seen it; a form atop a hill at a local farm, screaming at the moonlight.
    — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of hill
Verb
  • But even when Antetokounmpo was on the court in the second half, the Heat struggled.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The high prices are adding to pain for cattle ranchers in western states, who were already struggling with persistent drought.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • In total, the model can screen more than 40,000 compounds a day, which has the potential to dramatically speed up drug discovery.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The company said the new money will go toward hiring engineers and salespeople as well as speeding up product development.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of speed
Noun
  • These cover maximum overnight guests, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking and vaping, commercial photography, and locking up at checkout.
    — Lena Borrelli, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • During the live, two-hour session, an art teacher guides her through painting her pet’s portrait, creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of pet
Noun
  • Storing heat between peaks Unlike solar and wind installations, conventional nuclear power plants are generally designed to produce electricity continuously.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The area of Ice Mountain and other nearby peaks were heavily searched by aircraft, including multiple drones and helicopters, as well as aircraft with infrared technology.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of peak
Noun
  • The Miz pumped his fist twice and punched the air walking off the mound.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Pinch-runner Cedric Mullins replaced Caminero before DeLuca, who had made sparkling catches to deny Yelich in the third and William Contreras in the fourth, hit a grounder past the mound as Drohan tried in vain to make a behind-the-back snag.
    — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of mound

Browse Nearby Words

humors
hump
humped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hump. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hump

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hump

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All