lump
gb/lˈʌmp/ us/lˈʌmp/
A2
English
~ 7200
csomó, darab, duzzanat, egy kalap alá vesz, összemos, mamlasz, melák, beletörődik, kénytelen elfogadni, gombóc a torokban, elszorul a torka, cipel, hurcol
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a lump of [substance]
He dropped a lump of sugar into his coffee.
Beledobott egy kockacukrot a kávéjába.
The recipe says to melt the butter, not just throw in a cold lump.
A recept szerint a vajat meg kell olvasztani, nem elég csak egy hideg darabot beledobni.
There were unpleasant flour lumps in the gravy.
She shaped the wet lump of clay into a small bowl.
We found a lump of coal at the edge of the old railway line.
Learner examples
She put one lump of sugar in her tea.
Egy kockacukrot tett a teájába.
There are lumps in this soup, so it is not smooth.
Csomók vannak ebben a levesben, ezért nem sima az állaga.
He held a lump of wet clay in his hands.
I bit a hard lump in the cake and almost broke my tooth.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"piece of sugar"* instead of the common collocation *"lump of sugar"* when talking about cube or rough pieces of sugar. Also, they may confuse *"lump"* with *"ball"*; *"ball"* usually suggests a more round, regular shape than *"lump"*.
Meaning
small solid piece of something
Collocations
a lump of sugar
|a lump of coal
|a lump of clay
|big lump of
|break into lumps
|lumps in the sauce
Synonyms
chunk (Often suggests a bigger or more regular piece than a lump.)
Antonyms
powder (Refers to a substance in many tiny, smooth particles instead of in solid pieces.)
Themes
daily life
|cooking
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small, solid piece of a material that does not have a clear shape, like a piece of sugar or clay.
A small, usually roughly shaped piece or mass of a substance, especially a soft or loose one such as sugar, coal, clay, or flour.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to find/feel a lump in/on [part of body]
She went to the doctor after finding a small lump in her breast.
Orvoshoz ment, miután egy kis csomót talált a mellében.
The nurse checked the lump on his neck and ordered some tests.
A nővér megvizsgálta a nyakán lévő csomót, és néhány vizsgálatot kért.
He hit his head on the doorframe and woke up with a large lump on his forehead.
Any new lump under the skin should be checked by a health professional.
The scan showed that the lump in his throat was benign.
Learner examples
I felt a lump in my neck and got scared.
Csomót éreztem a nyakamban, és megijedtem.
There is a small lump on his arm after the fall.
Egy kis duzzanat van a karján az esés után.
She is worried because she found a lump in her breast.
The doctor said the lump is not dangerous, but they will watch it.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *"lump"* (a solid raised area) with *"bruise"* (a dark mark on the skin) or use only *"bump"*. A *"lump"* is what you can feel as a raised mass; a *"bruise"* is a change in color, and a *"bump"* is a more informal word that can mean either.
Meaning
small swelling in body tissue
Collocations
find a lump
|feel a lump
|a breast lump
|a cancerous lump
|a suspicious lump
|a lump on his head
Synonyms
swelling (More general and often used for larger or less clearly defined raised areas.)
Antonyms
flatness (Describes the normal, even surface of skin or tissue without any raised area.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|daily life
|body
Definition
A small, higher area you can see or feel in or under your skin, which can be from an injury or illness.
A small, raised, often abnormal mass in or under the skin or in soft tissue, sometimes caused by injury, infection, or disease.
VERB
B2
3
összemos
C1
Usage pattern:
to lump [people/things] together
It's unfair to lump all teenagers together as troublemakers.
Igazságtalan minden tizenévest egy kalap alá venni, és bajkeverőnek beállítani.
The report wrongly lumped small family firms in with multinational corporations.
A jelentés tévesen egy kalap alá vette a kis családi vállalkozásokat a multinacionális cégekkel.
We shouldn't lump mental health problems under one simple label.
They tend to lump all forms of online criticism together as abuse.
Artists from very different traditions are often lumped together in the same exhibition.
Learner examples
Do not lump all old people together. They are different.
Ne vegyél minden idős embert egy kalap alá. Nem egyformák.
He felt hurt when the teacher lumped him in with the noisy students.
Rosszul esett neki, amikor a tanár egy kalap alá vette a zajos diákokkal.
The article lumps many kinds of games together as "addictive."
You cannot lump this country together with its neighbors. It is very different.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"mix"* or *"put together"* when they mean that the grouping is careless or unfair. In these cases, *"lump together"* or *"lump [someone] in with"* is more natural.
Meaning
group together without distinction
Collocations
lump together
|lump all [group] together
|lump [someone] in with
|tend to lump
|cannot be lumped together
Synonyms
group (Neutral; does not itself suggest that the grouping is careless or unfair, unlike "lump" which often does.)
Antonyms
distinguish (Focuses on seeing or pointing out the differences instead of treating things as one group.)
Themes
thinking
|society
|language
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To think of people or things as the same group, without seeing how they are different.
To put people or things into the same group or category, often without recognizing or respecting important differences between them.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
a great/big/useless lump
Get up and help instead of sitting there like a great lump.
Kelj fel, és segíts, ahelyett hogy ott ülsz, mint egy nagy mamlasz.
Stop being such a useless lump and do something.
Ne legyél már ilyen haszontalan mamlasz, csinálj valamit.
He felt like a lump on the sofa after days of doing nothing.
She called him a big lump for sleeping through his alarm again.
Learner examples
He just sits on the couch like a big lump.
Csak ül a kanapén, mint egy nagy mamlasz.
My dad told my brother, "Don’t be a lazy lump. Go outside."
Apám azt mondta a testvéremnek: „Ne légy lusta mamlasz. Menj ki a szabadba.”
She felt like a lump because she was too tired to move.
I don’t want to be a lump who never does any exercise.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is neutral like *"person"*. It is usually negative or teasing and should not be used to politely describe someone.
Meaning
heavy, slow, often lazy person
Collocations
you big lump
|a great lump
|a useless lump
|a lazy lump
Synonyms
oaf (Also an insult for a clumsy or stupid person, often slightly stronger or more old-fashioned than "lump.")
Antonyms
livewire (Describes a very lively, energetic person, the opposite of a heavy, inactive "lump.")
Themes
people
|emotions
|insults
|daily_life
Definition
A word for a person who seems big, heavy, and slow, and often lazy or not very smart.
A person who is physically large, heavy, or clumsy, and is often seen as lazy, dull, or not very intelligent.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
to lump [something]
The price is going up, and customers will just have to lump it.
Az ár emelkedik, az ügyfeleknek pedig egyszerűen bele kell törődniük.
You can complain if you like, but in the end you’ll lump it.
Panaszkodhatsz, ha akarsz, de a végén úgyis beletörődsz.
He didn’t get the promotion and had to lump it.
If you don’t like the rules, you can lump it.
Learner examples
The boss said there is no money, so we must lump it.
A főnök azt mondta, hogy nincs pénz, ezért bele kell törődnünk.
I do not like this job, but I have to lump it for now.
Nem szeretem ezt a munkát, de egyelőre kénytelen vagyok beletörődni.
You cannot change the exam date, so you will have to lump it.
She was angry but knew she must lump it.
Common mistake:
This sense is almost always used in fixed phrases like *"like it or lump it"* or *"you’ll have to lump it."* Learners sometimes try to say *"I lumped the problem"* without context; this sounds unnatural.
Meaning
reluctantly accept something unpleasant
Collocations
like it or lump it
|have to lump it
|just lump it
Synonyms
put up with (Very similar meaning, but more common and slightly less sharp or rude than "lump it.")
Antonyms
resist (Means to fight against a situation instead of accepting it.)
Themes
emotions
|conflict
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To accept something you do not like, because you cannot change it.
To accept something unpleasant or unwanted without being able to change it, often with the idea that complaining will not help.
NOUN
B2
6
Usage pattern:
a lump in [someone]'s throat
He felt a lump in his throat as he said goodbye.
Gombóc volt a torkában, amikor búcsút mondott.
With a lump in her throat, she thanked everyone for their support.
Gombóccal a torkában köszönte meg mindenkinek a támogatást.
The speech brought a lump to many people’s throats.
I tried to speak, but the lump in my throat made it hard.
Learner examples
I felt a lump in my throat when I saw my baby for the first time.
Gombóc volt a torkomban, amikor először megláttam a kisbabámat.
There was a lump in his throat as he talked about his father.
Gombóc volt a torkában, amikor az apjáról beszélt.
The sad movie gave me a lump in my throat.
Her kind words put a lump in my throat.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this is a real object in the throat like food. In this common phrase, it describes a feeling caused by strong emotion, not an actual piece of something.
Meaning
tight feeling in throat from emotion
Collocations
a lump in my throat
|with a lump in his throat
|feel a lump in her throat
Synonyms
tightness (Describes the physical feeling but does not include the emotional idea as clearly as "lump in the throat.")
Antonyms
relief (The feeling when the tight or painful emotion goes away, opposite to the tense feeling of a lump in the throat.)
Themes
emotions
|body
|literature
Definition
A strange, tight feeling in your throat when you are very sad or moved and feel like you might cry.
A tight, raised feeling in the throat that people experience when they are about to cry or feel very strong emotion.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
7
Usage pattern:
to lump [something] [somewhere]
We lumped the heavy suitcases into the back of the car.
Becipeltük a nehéz bőröndöket a kocsi csomagtartójába.
He lumped the old television up the stairs on his own.
Egyedül cipelte fel a régi tévét a lépcsőn.
They lumped all the chairs into one corner of the room.
She lumped the bags onto the table with a sigh of effort.
Learner examples
He lumped the big box into the truck.
Becipelte a nagy dobozt a teherautóba.
We had to lump all the bags up the stairs.
Fel kellett cipelnünk az összes táskát a lépcsőn.
They lumped the old sofa into the garage.
She lumped the heavy books onto her desk.
Common mistake:
This sense is not very common and is often replaced by verbs like *"carry"* or *"lift"*. Learners should use those more frequent verbs in most situations.
Meaning
move or lift something heavy
Collocations
lump the boxes upstairs
|lump it into the car
|lump the bags onto the table
Synonyms
heave (Also means to lift or pull with effort; slightly more common and neutral than this sense of "lump.")
Antonyms
set down gently (Describes placing something carefully instead of moving it in a heavy, clumsy way.)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|work
|daily_life
Definition
To pick up or move something heavy and hard to carry.
To lift, carry, or move something heavy in a slow or clumsy way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lump
IPA
GB/lˈʌmp/
US/lˈʌmp/
Syllables & stress
lump (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lump)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lump
- Plural: lumps
Verb
- Base: lump
- 3rd Person Singular: lumps
- Present Participle: lumping
- Past: lumped
Word family
Forms
lumps
noun
lumping
verb
lumped
verb
Core family
lumpy
adjective
Related words
lumpiness
noun
Expressions
a lump in one's throat
1/ə lˈʌmp ˈɪn wˈʌnz θɹˈoʊt/
idiom
tight feeling in throat from emotion
A strong feeling in your throat when you are very sad or moved and feel you might cry.
Examples
- He felt a lump in his throat as he watched his daughter graduate.
- The story brought a lump to her throat.
like it or lump it
1/lˈaɪk ˈɪt ˈɔɹ lˈʌmp ˈɪt/
idiom
informal
must accept it, like it or not
Used to say that someone must accept a situation, even if they do not like it, because they cannot change it.
Examples
- The rules have changed, and you can like it or lump it.
- He told the team they would have to train on weekends, like it or lump it.
lump in with
1/lˈʌmp ˈɪn wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
include unfairly in a group
To put a person or thing in the same group as others, in a way that does not feel right or fair.
Examples
- She hated being lumped in with the lazy students.
- Small independent shops are unfairly lumped in with big chains in the new law.
lump it
1/lˈʌmp ˈɪt/
idiom
informal
accept something you dislike
To accept something bad or annoying because you cannot change it.
Examples
- If you don’t like the decision, you’ll just have to lump it.
- We can’t afford a pay rise this year, so the staff will have to lump it.
lump sum
1/lˈʌmp sˈʌm/
fixed phrase
single full payment of money
A single large payment of money, instead of many small payments over time.
Examples
- You can take your pension as a lump sum or as a monthly payment.
- They offered to pay the damages in a lump sum.
lump together
1/lˈʌmp təɡˈɛðɚ/
phrasal verb
group things together carelessly
To put people or things in the same group, without seeing or respecting how they are different.
Examples
- The article lumps together very different political movements.
- Teachers often lump together shy children and rude children as simply "quiet."
one lump or two?
1/wˈʌn lˈʌmp ˈɔɹ tˈu ‖/
fixed phrase
asking how many sugar lumps
A polite question asking how many small pieces of sugar someone wants in their tea or coffee.
Examples
- Milk and sugar? One lump or two?
- She smiled and asked, "One lump or two?" as she poured the tea.
take your lumps
1/tˈeɪk jˈʊɹ lˈʌmps/
idiom
informal
accept deserved criticism or punishment
To accept criticism, problems, or punishment, especially when you know it is fair.
Examples
- He made a mistake, admitted it, and took his lumps.
- Sometimes you just have to take your lumps and learn from the experience.