Meaning & use
bump
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small swelling or raised lump on skin or a surface.
Grammar: Has a plural: bumps on the road.
Patterns
- a bump on something
He had a bump on his forehead after hitting the shelf.
The road was full of bumps.
There is a small bump under the carpet.
nouncountable
A light knock or collision, or the dull sound it makes.
Grammar: Often with an or heard as a sound: I heard a bump.
Patterns
- a bump against something
- a bump in the night
We felt a bump as the car backed into the post.
She heard a bump upstairs and went to check.
The plane landed with a gentle bump.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To knock against something or someone, usually by accident.
Grammar: Often with into or against: bump into a table.
Patterns
- bump into something
- bump against something
- bump something on something
I bumped my knee on the desk.
Watch out, you'll bump the glass.
He bumped against the door in the dark.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
In bump into, to meet someone unexpectedly.
Grammar: Needs an object after into: bump into an old friend.
Patterns
- bump into someone
I bumped into my old teacher at the market.
You'll never guess who I bumped into today.
They bumped into each other at the station.
Word forms
| plural | bumps |
|---|---|
| third person singular | bumps |
| past tense | bumped |
| -ing form | bumping |
Common combinations
- bump into
- I bumped into her outside the library.
- bump up
- The store will bump up prices next month.
- speed bump
- Slow down for the speed bump.
- bump your head
- Mind you don't bump your head on the low beam.
- bump in the road
- The change was just a bump in the road.
Synonyms and how they differ
- knock
- Knock suggests a firmer hit, often on purpose, while bump is usually accidental and softer.
- lump
- Lump is a solid mass under skin, whereas bump is a raised area that may be temporary.
- collide
- Collide is stronger and formal, for two moving things hitting hard.
- jolt
- Jolt means a sharp shock or jerk that shakes you, not just a light touch.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bump or bump vs. bomb?
bump vs bump vs. bomb
A bomb explodes, while a bump is a small knock or lump.
Practice
I was walking through the mall when I ___ my old classmate.
Choose one answer.
Bump into means meet by chance. The other prepositions do not make a natural phrasal verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bump”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.