tramp
gb/tɹˈæmp/ us/tɹˈæmp/
B2
English
~ 6300
ribanc, kurva, csavargó, trappol, caplat, csörtet, rója az utcákat, túrázik, léptek dobogása, túra, letapos, eltapos, szabadjáratú teherhajó
NOUN
C1
SLANG
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is (such) a tramp
She called her roommate a tramp after finding out she had slept with her ex-boyfriend.
Ribancnak nevezte a lakótársát, miután megtudta, hogy lefeküdt a volt barátjával.
The tabloids painted her as a tramp because of her string of boyfriends.
A bulvárlapok ribancnak állították be a sok egymást követő pasija miatt.
He lost a lot of friends after loudly calling his coworker a tramp in front of everyone.
Learner examples
Do not call someone a tramp. It is very rude.
Ne nevezz senkit ribancnak. Ez nagyon sértő.
He thinks she is a tramp because she goes home with different men.
Azt hiszi róla, hogy ribanc, mert más-más férfiakkal megy haza.
In that movie, the girls at school call her a tramp behind her back.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the older sense of tramp meaning a homeless person. Also, they may not realize how rude and insulting this word is in this sense. It should be avoided in polite conversation and never used to describe someone directly.
Meaning
sexually promiscuous or immoral person
Collocations
such a tramp
|act like a tramp
|call her a tramp
|treated as a tramp
|total tramp
Synonyms
slut (More common but also more vulgar and strongly offensive than tramp.)
|
skank (Very slang and insulting, often suggests both sexual and general dirtiness.)
|
hoe (Slang (often spelled hoe or ho), common in some varieties of English, very informal and offensive.)
Antonyms
prude (Describes someone who is very strict or shy about sex, seen as the opposite of sexually free or promiscuous.)
Themes
people
|relationships
|insults
|sex
Definition
A rude word for a person, usually a woman, who has sex with many people or is seen as having no sexual morals.
An insulting word for a person, especially a woman, who is considered to have many casual sexual partners or very low sexual morals.
NOUN
C1
2
csavargó
B2
Usage pattern:
a tramp [walks/sleeps/lives] [place]
An old tramp was sleeping on a bench outside the station.
Az állomás előtt egy padon egy öreg csavargó aludt.
They gave the tramp a hot meal and some clean clothes.
Meleg ételt és tiszta ruhát adtak a csavargónak.
In the novel, a young tramp wanders the countryside looking for work.
Learner examples
A tramp slept under the bridge last night.
Tegnap éjjel egy csavargó aludt a híd alatt.
They saw a tramp walking along the road with a bag.
Egy csavargót láttak az út mentén gyalogolni, táskával a kezében.
The kind woman gave the tramp some food and water.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use tramp to mean any homeless person. In modern English this word can sound old-fashioned or offensive, so many speakers prefer homeless person or rough sleeper. Do not use tramp in a polite description of someone you do not know.
Meaning
homeless wanderer or vagrant
Collocations
old tramp
|homeless tramp
|dirty tramp
|wandering tramp
|street tramp
Synonyms
vagrant (More formal and often used in legal or official contexts.)
|
drifter (Suggests a person who moves around without a clear purpose, not always homeless.)
|
hobo (Mainly North American and slightly old-fashioned; often used for a migrant worker who travels by rail.)
Antonyms
homeowner (Stresses having a stable home and property, the opposite of a homeless wanderer.)
Themes
people
|poverty
|social issues
|daily_life
Definition
A homeless person who walks from town to town and lives by asking for money or doing small jobs.
A homeless person who moves from place to place on foot, often living by begging or doing small, irregular jobs.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to tramp [somewhere]
We tramped through the forest for hours in our heavy boots.
The children tramped up the stairs, shaking the whole house.
Protesters tramped across the bridge chanting loudly.
They spent the afternoon tramping around the city in the rain.
Learner examples
We tramped through the mud to reach the car.
He tramped up the hill with a big bag on his back.
The boys tramped around the park until it was dark.
Soldiers tramped past the house in the early morning.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse tramp with stamp. Tramp means to walk with heavy steps, often over a distance. Stamp usually means to bring your foot down hard once or a few times, for example to show anger.
Meaning
walk with heavy, noisy steps
Collocations
tramp through the woods
|tramp across the field
|tramp home
|tramp around town
|tramp over the ground
Synonyms
trudge (Focuses more on being tired or finding it hard to walk, not always noisy.)
|
plod (Suggests slow, heavy, and often boring movement.)
|
march (Implies firm, regular steps, often by soldiers, not necessarily heavy.)
Antonyms
tiptoe (Means to walk very quietly and lightly, the opposite of walking heavily and noisily.)
Themes
movement
|daily life
|outdoors
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To walk with heavy, loud steps, for example when you are tired or wearing boots.
To walk with slow, heavy, or noisy steps, often because you are tired, wearing heavy boots, or walking on rough ground.
VERB
B2
4
túrázik
A2
Usage pattern:
to tramp [across/through something]
They spent the summer tramping across New Zealand with backpacks.
Az egész nyarat azzal töltötték, hogy hátizsákkal túrázva bejárták Új-Zélandot.
We tramped through the national park for three days.
Három napig túráztunk a nemzeti parkban.
As a student he used to tramp the length of the country during his holidays.
Learner examples
We plan to tramp through the forest this weekend.
Azt tervezzük, hogy ezen a hétvégén túrázunk az erdőben.
They tramped across the island in five days.
Öt nap alatt gyalog átszelték a szigetet.
She loves to tramp in the mountains every summer.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is more common in some varieties like British or New Zealand English and that many speakers simply say hike instead. Also, do not use tramp when you mean a very short or easy walk; in that case say walk or go for a walk.
Meaning
walk a long distance or hike
Collocations
tramp the countryside
|tramp the hills
|tramp across the country
|tramp through the mountains
|go tramping
Synonyms
hike (Very common word for walking long distances in the countryside; slightly more neutral than tramp.)
|
trek (Suggests a long, hard journey, often in wild or high places.)
Antonyms
drive (Describes traveling the same distance by vehicle instead of walking.)
Themes
outdoors
|travel
|movement
|sports
Definition
To walk a long way, usually in the countryside, often as a trip or holiday activity.
To walk a long distance on foot, especially across countryside or rough ground, often as a form of travel or outdoor activity.
NOUN
C1
5
Usage pattern:
the tramp of [boots/feet/soldiers]
They heard the tramp of heavy boots in the corridor.
Meghallották a nehéz bakancsok dobogását a folyosón.
The distant tramp of feet grew louder as the crowd approached.
A távoli léptek dobogása egyre hangosabb lett, ahogy közeledett a tömeg.
We listened to the steady tramp of soldiers passing in the night.
Learner examples
I woke up to the tramp of feet above my room.
A szobám feletti léptek dobogására ébredtem.
We heard the tramp of soldiers coming down the road.
Hallottuk az úton közeledő katonák lépteinek dobogását.
The tramp of boots on the stairs made the baby cry.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use tramp to mean any kind of sound. It is used mainly for the sound of repeated heavy footsteps, often in literary or descriptive writing.
Meaning
sound of heavy footsteps
Collocations
the tramp of boots
|the tramp of feet
|distant tramp of soldiers
|heavy tramp of footsteps
|the tramp of marching men
Synonyms
tread (A more general word for the sound of footsteps; not always heavy.)
|
thud (Focuses on a single heavy sound, not a repeated marching sound.)
Antonyms
silence (The complete lack of sound, which contrasts with the loud, repeated noise of a tramp of feet.)
Themes
sound
|movement
|literature
|daily_life
Definition
The loud, heavy sound that feet make when many people or animals walk.
The dull, heavy, repeated sound made when people or animals walk with firm steps, especially many of them together.
NOUN
B2
6
túra
A2
Usage pattern:
a tramp through [the countryside/the hills]
We went for a long tramp through the hills at the weekend.
Hétvégén hosszú túrára mentünk a dombok között.
After a five-mile tramp, they finally reached the village.
Az ötmérföldes túra után végül elérték a falut.
The holiday includes daily tramps in the national park.
Learner examples
They took a tramp in the mountains.
Tettek egy túrát a hegyekben.
After the long tramp, everyone was tired and hungry.
A hosszú túra után mindenki fáradt és éhes volt.
The guide led us on a tramp through the forest.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume tramp is as common as hike for this meaning. In many modern contexts, especially in American English, hike is more natural and common.
Meaning
long, often tiring walk
Collocations
go for a tramp
|a tramp through the hills
|a three-hour tramp
|a hard tramp over rough ground
|a country tramp
Synonyms
hike (The most usual modern word, especially in American English, for a long country walk.)
|
trek (Suggests a more difficult or adventurous walk, often in remote areas.)
Antonyms
stroll (A short, easy, relaxed walk, which contrasts with the idea of a long, tiring tramp.)
Themes
outdoors
|travel
|leisure
|daily_life
Definition
A long walk, often in the countryside and more tiring than a normal walk.
A long walk, especially a fairly tiring one through the countryside or over rough ground.
VERB
C1
7
Usage pattern:
to tramp [something] down/out
They tramped the wet grass down into a muddy path.
Letaposták a nedves füvet, és sáros ösvény lett belőle.
He used his boots to tramp out the small fire.
A bakancsával taposta el a kis tüzet.
Workers were tramping the earth down to make a firm base for the path.
Learner examples
We tramped the snow down to make a path.
Letapostuk a havat, hogy járható ösvény legyen.
She tramped out the campfire with her boots.
A bakancsával taposta el a tábortüzet.
The children tramped the leaves down in the yard.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use tramp when they mean simply step on. Tramp suggests heavy, repeated steps that press something down, not just touching it with your foot once.
Meaning
press down by treading on
Collocations
tramp the grass down
|tramp down the snow
|tramp out a fire
|tramp the mud flat
|tramp down the earth
Synonyms
trample (Very close in meaning; often suggests more damage or violence.)
|
stamp (Focuses more on bringing the foot down hard; can be used for putting out a fire.)
Antonyms
loosen (Means to make something less packed or tight, the opposite of pressing it down firmly.)
Themes
movement
|outdoors
|actions
|daily_life
Definition
To make something flat by walking on it with heavy steps again and again.
To press, flatten, or crush something by walking or stepping heavily on it, often repeatedly.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
8
Usage pattern:
a tramp [ship/steamer]
He spent ten years working on a tramp that carried coal between small ports.
Tíz évet dolgozott egy szabadjáratú teherhajón, amely szenet szállított kisebb kikötők között.
The old tramp was bought cheaply and used for short coastal journeys.
Az öreg szabadjáratú teherhajót olcsón megvették, és rövid parti utakra használták.
Unlike regular liners, tramps take whatever cargo is available.
Learner examples
A tramp ship does not have a fixed route.
A szabadjáratú teherhajónak nincs állandó útvonala.
He got a job as a sailor on a tramp steamer.
Matrózként kapott állást egy szabadjáratú tehergőzösön.
The tramp carried grain from one small port to another.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is a technical shipping term and is usually seen in combinations like tramp steamer or tramp ship, not as a general word for any ship.
Meaning
cargo ship without fixed route
Collocations
tramp steamer
|tramp ship
|old tramp steamer
|coal-carrying tramp
|coastal tramp
Synonyms
tramp steamer (The full traditional term for this type of vessel; tramp alone is often short for this.)
Antonyms
liner (A passenger or cargo ship that runs on a fixed route and schedule, unlike a tramp.)
Themes
transport
|business
|shipping
|transportation
|travel
Definition
A ship that carries goods and does not have a regular route, but goes to any port where there is work.
A cargo ship that does not sail on a regular route or timetable, but goes wherever there is freight to carry.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tramp
IPA
GB/tɹˈæmp/
US/tɹˈæmp/
Syllables & stress
tramp (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (tramp)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tramp
- Plural: tramps
Verb
- Base: tramp
- 3rd Person Singular: tramps
- Present Participle: tramping
- Past: tramped
Word family
Forms
tramps
noun
tramping
verb
tramped
verb
Related words
Advanced or less common
vagrancy
noun
Expressions
go tramping
1/ɡˈoʊ tɹˈæmpɪŋ/
fixed phrase
go hiking or backpacking
To go on long walks in the countryside, often carrying a bag and sleeping in different places.
Examples
- We plan to go tramping in the national park this summer.
- They went tramping for a week along the coastal track.
on the tramp
6/ˈɔn ðə tɹˈæmp/
idiom
literary
travelling about as a vagrant
Travelling from place to place on foot, usually homeless and looking for work.
Examples
- After losing his job he spent several years on the tramp.
- The men on the tramp slept under bridges and in empty barns.
tramp around
2/tɹˈæmp ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
walk heavily or aimlessly around
To walk around a place with heavy or tired steps, often for a long time and without a clear purpose.
Examples
- We spent the afternoon tramping around the city in the heat.
- I am tired of tramping around the shops looking for the right shoes.
tramp out a fire
7/tɹˈæmp ˈaʊt ə fˈaɪɚ/
phrasal verb
extinguish a fire by treading
To put out a small fire by stepping on it again and again with your feet.
Examples
- They quickly tramped out the fire before it spread to the trees.
- He used his boots to tramp out the campfire.
tramp ship
8/tɹˈæmp ʃˈɪp/
fixed phrase
technical
cargo ship without fixed route
A ship that carries goods and does not have a regular route or timetable, but goes wherever there is cargo to move.
Examples
- He worked as an engineer on a tramp ship in his twenties.
- Unlike liners, tramp ships do not follow fixed schedules.
tramp something down
5/tɹˈæmp sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
press flat by walking on
To make something flat and hard by walking on it again and again with heavy steps.
Examples
- They tramped the earth down to make a level path.
- We tramped the long grass down so we could put up the tent.
tramp steamer
9/tɹˈæmp stˈimɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
steam cargo ship without route
An old type of steam ship that carries goods and has no regular route or timetable.
Examples
- The novel begins on an old tramp steamer bound for South America.
- He booked a cheap passage on a tramp steamer leaving the next day.
tramp the streets
4/tɹˈæmp ðə stɹˈits/
fixed phrase
walk streets for a long time
To walk around the streets for a long time, often while looking for work, a place to live, or someone.
Examples
- He spent weeks tramping the streets looking for a job.
- They tramped the streets all day trying to find a cheap hotel.
tramp through
3/tɹˈæmp θɹˈu/
phrasal verb
walk heavily through something
To walk with heavy steps through a place or substance like a forest, mud, or snow.
Examples
- They tramped through the snow to reach the cabin.
- We tramped through the woods until we found the river.