Meaning & use
clomps
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“clomps” is a form of “clomp”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitiveinformal
walks with heavy, loud steps, making a dull noise with the feet.
Grammar: Third person singular of clomp. No object; often followed by around, past, or up: he clomps up the stairs.
Patterns
- clomps around
- clomps past someone
- clomps up something
- clomps down something
My brother clomps around the house in his boots every morning.
She clomps past my desk without saying a word.
Word forms
| base form | clomp |
|---|---|
| past tense | clomped |
| past participle | clomped |
| -ing form | clomping |
Common combinations
- clomp around the house
- The kids clomp around the house in their new shoes.
- clomp up the stairs
- He clomps up the stairs like a horse.
- clomp down the hall
- Someone was clomping down the hall in heavy boots.
- clomp past
- A group of hikers clomped past us on the trail.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stomp
- Stomp suggests more anger or deliberate force; clomp just describes the heavy, dull sound of walking.
- tramp
- Tramp is more literary and suggests a long, tiring walk rather than a single noisy step.
- trudge
- Trudge stresses tiredness and slow movement, not the noise made.
Opposites
Word family
- clomp noun
- the heavy sound made by such steps, as in the clomp of boots.
Commonly confused: clomps or clamp? clomps or clump?
clomps vs clamp
A clamp is a tool that holds things tightly; clomp is only about heavy walking.
clomps vs clump
A clump is a small group of things, such as trees or grass; clomp is a sound and movement word.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Clomp is intransitive and often used with around to show noisy movement in a place. Clomp does not take a direct object like the kitchen, and to or of do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clomps”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.