a speed bump

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small raised strip across a road that makes drivers slow down.

   Grammar: Countable: a speed bump, two speed bumps.

   Patterns

   • go over a speed bump
   • slow down for a speed bump

   The city installed a speed bump in front of the school to protect children.

   He drove too fast and his car bounced over the speed bump.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A minor problem that delays progress for a short time.

   Grammar: Often used in business or project talk: hit a speed bump.

   Patterns

   • hit a speed bump
   • a speed bump in something

   The project hit a speed bump when the supplier delivered the wrong parts.

   Losing that client was just a speed bump; the company recovered quickly.

Word forms

Common combinations

hit a speed bump

The negotiations hit a speed bump over the budget.

go over a speed bump

You can feel every speed bump in this old car.

install a speed bump

The council installed three speed bumps on our street.

slow down for a speed bump

Drivers must slow down for the speed bump near the park.

Synonyms and how they differ

road hump

A more formal British term for the same raised strip; 'speed bump' is the everyday word in both countries.

sleeping policeman

An old-fashioned British informal name for a speed bump; it sounds playful and is less common today.

Word family

speed noun

How fast something moves; the first part of the compound.

bump noun

A raised area on a surface; the second part of the compound.

Commonly confused: a speed bump or pothole?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a speed bump”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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