bump
gb/bˈʌmp/ us/bˈʌmp/
A2
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Small raised area on surface
A small raised part on a surface or skin.
Usage pattern:
a bump on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bump' with 'bruise', but a bruise is a skin discoloration, not necessarily raised.
Synonyms
lump (Often used for larger or more solid swellings.)
Antonyms
dent (A hollow or sunken area instead of a raised one.)
Collocations
small bump
|hard bump
|bump on the head
|hit a bump
Themes
daily life
|health
|body
Examples
- She had a bump on her forehead after hitting the door.
- The road was full of bumps and potholes.
- He discovered a bump under the carpet.
Learner examples
- I have a bump on my arm.
- The road has many bumps.
- There is a bump on the table.
Verb
A2
action
2
Hit something lightly by accident
To touch or hit something or someone by accident.
Usage pattern:
to bump [into/against] [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'bump into' with 'meet'; 'bump into' means meeting by chance, often with slight physical contact.
Synonyms
knock (Can be stronger or more deliberate than 'bump'.)
Antonyms
avoid (To keep from touching or hitting something.)
Collocations
bump into someone
|bump against the wall
|bump my head
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|transportation
Examples
- I accidentally bumped into an old friend at the store.
- Be careful not to bump your head on the shelf.
- She bumped against the desk as she walked past.
Learner examples
- I bumped into my teacher.
- Be careful, you might bump your head.
- I bumped against the chair.
Noun
B1
event
3
Minor collision between objects
A small accident when two things hit each other.
Synonyms
knock (Can be used for both gentle and strong impacts; 'bump' is milder.)
Antonyms
avoidance (The act of preventing contact or collision.)
Collocations
fender bump
|minor bump
|have a bump
Themes
transportation
|daily_life
Examples
- There was a little bump between the two cars in traffic.
- We had a bump while parking, but no damage was done.
- The shopping carts made a bump as they touched.
Learner examples
- The cars had a small bump.
- I had a bump in the parking lot.
- We heard a bump when the carts hit.
Verb
informal
B2
action
4
Move to higher position or level
To give someone or something a higher place or level.
Usage pattern:
to bump [someone/something] up to [a position/level]
Synonyms
promote ('Promote' is more formal and official than 'bump up'.)
Antonyms
demote (To move someone to a lower rank or position.)
Collocations
bump up prices
|bump up to first class
Themes
work
|daily life
|business
Examples
- They bumped him up to manager after only six months.
- We were bumped up to first class on the flight.
- The company bumped up prices last month.
Learner examples
- They bumped me up to leader.
- We got bumped up to business class.
- The store bumped up the price.
Noun
informal
B2
event
5
Increase in amount or level
A rise in number, amount, or level.
Synonyms
increase ('Increase' is more formal and general; 'bump' is informal and often small-scale.)
Antonyms
drop (A decrease in number or amount.)
Collocations
a bump in sales
|salary bump
Themes
business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We saw a nice bump in sales after the ad campaign.
- He got a big salary bump this year.
- There’s been a bump in website traffic.
Learner examples
- We had a bump in sales.
- My salary got a bump.
- There was a bump in visitors.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bump
IPA
GB/bˈʌmp/
US/bˈʌmp/
Syllables & stress
bump (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bump)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bump
- Plural: bumps
Verb
- Base: bump
- 3rd Person Singular: bumps
- Present Participle: bumping
- Past: bumped
Word family
Forms
bumps
noun
bumping
verb
bumped
verb
Core family
bumpy
adjective
Related words
bumper
noun B1
Advanced or less common
bumpiness
noun
Expressions
bump into
1/bˈʌmp ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
Meet by chance and touch lightly
To meet someone you know by chance while you are moving, often touching them lightly.
Examples
- I bumped into Sarah at the mall yesterday.
- We bumped into our old teacher on the train.
bump up
2/bˈʌmp ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Increase suddenly or noticeably
To make an amount, level, or value higher suddenly or by a lot.
Examples
- The hotel bumped up its prices during the holiday season.
- They bumped up production to meet demand.
hit a bump in the road
4/hˈɪt ə bˈʌmp ˈɪn ðə ɹˈoʊd/
idiom
Face an unexpected difficulty
To have an unexpected problem that slows progress.
Examples
- The project hit a bump in the road when funding was delayed.
- Their relationship hit a bump in the road but they worked it out.
speed bump
3/spˈid bˈʌmp/
fixed phrase
Raised strip to slow traffic
A short raised part across a road that makes cars go slower.
Examples
- There’s a speed bump ahead, so slow down.
- The street outside the school has several speed bumps.