jumped up

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nounBritishinformaldisapproving

   Having recently gained importance or status and behaving in an arrogant way that others find unjustified.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: a jumped-up clerk.

   Patterns

   • a jumped-up something

   He was a jumped-up manager who loved giving orders.

   I won't take advice from some jumped-up intern.

   She hated the jumped-up little official at the desk.

2. 2phrasephrasal verb

   Past form of jump up: to rise suddenly to your feet or upward.

   Grammar: Intransitive: she jumped up. No object after up.

   Patterns

   • jump up

   When the bell rang, the students jumped up and ran outside.

   He jumped up to catch the ball.

   The dog jumped up on the sofa.

Common combinations

jumped-up clerk

The jumped-up clerk demanded to see everyone's passes.

jumped-up little

He is a jumped-up little tyrant with a clipboard.

jumped-up manager

I refuse to be bossed about by a jumped-up manager.

jumped up from

She jumped up from her chair when the phone rang.

jumped up and down

The kids jumped up and down with excitement.

Synonyms and how they differ

upstart

Upstart is a noun for the person, while jumped-up is the adjective describing them.

pompous

Pompous means self-important but carries no hint of a recent rise in status.

pretentious

Pretentious suggests claiming qualities one lacks, rather than newly acquired rank.

arrogant

Arrogant is more general and does not imply the person has risen unfairly.

Opposites

Word family

jump verb

to leap off the ground

jumper noun

a sweater, or a person who jumps

upstart noun

someone newly successful who behaves boastfully

Commonly confused: jumped up or jumpy?

Practice

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

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