Meaning & use
gazumped
Last updated
“gazumped” is a form of “gazump”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitiveBritishinformal
past tense of gazump: to accept a higher offer for a house after already agreeing to sell it to someone else.
Grammar: Takes an object: the seller gazumped us. It is usually passive: we were gazumped by another buyer.
Patterns
- be gazumped by someone
- gazump someone on a house
- get gazumped
We had our offer accepted, but then the seller gazumped us and took a higher bid.
They were gazumped at the last minute and had to start looking for a house again.
If you are gazumped, you can sometimes claim your survey and legal costs back.
Word forms
| base form | gazump |
|---|---|
| third person singular | gazumps |
| present participle | gazumping |
| past tense | gazumped |
| past participle | gazumped |
Common combinations
- be gazumped by a higher offer
- The couple were gazumped by a higher offer from a cash buyer.
- get gazumped
- It is upsetting to get gazumped after you have paid for a survey.
- gazump someone on a property
- The owner gazumped us on the property even though we had shaken hands on the price.
- risk being gazumped
- In a hot market, buyers risk being gazumped if they delay.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- gazump verb
- The base form, meaning to accept a higher offer after agreeing to sell.
- gazumping noun
- The practice of accepting a higher offer after a price has been agreed.
Commonly confused: gazumped or gazebo?
gazumped vs gazebo
A gazebo is a small garden building; it sounds a little like gazump but has nothing to do with houses or offers.
Practice
After we agreed a price, the seller ______ us and sold to someone else.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'gazumped' fits because the action happened before now. 'Gazumping' would need a helping verb like 'was', and 'gazumps' is present tense for he/she/it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gazumped”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.