Meaning & use
take a dump
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Meaning
phraseidiomslangvulgar
To empty the bowels; a blunt, impolite way to say you are using the toilet for a solid motion.
Grammar: Fixed phrase with the verb take changing form: she takes a dump, he took a dump.
Patterns
- take a dump
He told his friends he needed to stop and take a dump before the long drive.
The puppy likes to take a dump on the same patch of grass every morning.
Describing usage only, doctors will not use take a dump with patients.
Word forms
| third person singular | takes a dump |
|---|---|
| past tense | took a dump |
| past participle | taken a dump |
| -ing form | taking a dump |
Common combinations
- need to take a dump
- I need to take a dump before we leave.
- go take a dump
- He went to take a dump during the break.
- take a quick dump
- The hikers took a quick dump behind a tree.
- stop to take a dump
- We had to stop to take a dump on the highway.
Synonyms and how they differ
- use the toilet
- Use the toilet is neutral and polite, so it suits any setting where take a dump does not.
- have a bowel movement
- Have a bowel movement is the clinical, medical way to say it.
- poop
- Poop is milder and childlike, often used with children or pets.
- go to the bathroom
- Go to the bathroom is a polite euphemism that does not say what you are doing.
Word family
Commonly confused: take a dump or take a dump on?
take a dump vs take a dump on
Take a dump on someone is a stronger insult meaning to treat them with contempt, so it does not mean the same as simply using the toilet.
Practice
Which phrase is the most polite way to say take a dump when speaking to your doctor?
Choose one answer.
Have a bowel movement is the clinical, polite wording. The other options are slangy or crude, which is a poor fit in a medical conversation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take a dump”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.