dump
gb/dˈʌmp/ us/dˈʌmp/
B1
English
~ 8100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Throw away or discard waste
To put garbage or other waste in a place so you do not have it anymore, often in a careless way.
Usage pattern:
to dump [something] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "drop" instead of "dump". "Drop" means something falls, usually by accident, while "dump" means you purposely throw away or leave waste somewhere, often in large amounts or in a way that may be careless or illegal.
Synonyms
discard (More formal and neutral; does not suggest carelessness or large amounts.)
|
throw away (Very common informal phrase; usually for everyday small things, not industrial waste.)
Antonyms
recycle (Opposite in environmental context, as it means processing waste so it can be used again instead of being dumped.)
Collocations
dump the trash
|dump waste
|dump rubbish
|dump chemicals
|illegally dump
|dump sewage
Themes
environment
|daily life
|law
|daily_life
Examples
- Factories used to dump toxic waste directly into the river.
- Please don't dump your old furniture on the street.
- The company was fined for dumping oil in the ocean.
- People sometimes dump their household rubbish in the woods.
- He secretly dumped the broken equipment behind the building.
Learner examples
- We dump our trash in the big bin outside.
- Someone dumped old tires near the road.
- The city says it is illegal to dump paint in the river.
- They dumped the garden waste at the local recycling center.
- Do not dump your old computer in the park.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Place for garbage and waste
A place where people or companies leave a lot of garbage or other waste.
Usage pattern:
a dump for [type of waste]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "dump" (a place for waste) with "trash can" or "bin". A dump is a large area, usually outdoors, where many loads of waste are left over time, not a small container inside a home or office.
Synonyms
landfill (More specific technical term for a controlled, official waste site, not for small or illegal dumps.)
Antonyms
recycling center (Opposite function, as waste is processed and reused instead of simply being left there.)
Collocations
garbage dump
|rubbish dump
|waste dump
|toxic waste dump
|illegal dump
|landfill dump
Themes
environment
|city life
|daily_life
Examples
- The town built a new dump outside the city limits.
- Old cars are taken to a special dump for scrap metal.
- The lake has turned into an illegal dump for construction waste.
- Flies and bad smells came from the nearby dump.
- They are planning to clean up the old rubbish dump and turn it into a park.
Learner examples
- The city dump is far from my house.
- Trucks take our trash to a big dump.
- People sometimes make a secret dump in the forest.
- The old dump is full, so they closed it.
- Workers moved the metal to a special dump.
Verb
informal
B2
action
3
End a romantic relationship
To tell your boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner that you do not want to be in a romantic relationship with them anymore.
Usage pattern:
to dump [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"dump with someone"* instead of "dump someone". The person who ends the relationship dumps the other person: "She dumped him," not *"She dumped with him."* Also, "dump" is informal; in polite situations, "end the relationship" or "break up with" is better.
Synonyms
break up with (Common and more neutral; does not always suggest the same cold or careless feeling as "dump".)
Antonyms
get together with (Means to start a romantic relationship, the opposite of ending one.)
Collocations
dump her boyfriend
|dump his girlfriend
|get dumped
|dump someone by text
|dump someone suddenly
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|daily life
Examples
- She dumped her boyfriend after he lied to her.
- He felt awful after being dumped just before his birthday.
- I can't believe you dumped her by text message.
- Tom finally dumped his toxic partner and moved out.
- She was shocked when he suddenly dumped her for someone else.
Learner examples
- My friend dumped his girlfriend last week.
- He was very sad because his partner dumped him.
- She decided to dump her boyfriend after many fights.
- I do not want to dump him, but I am not happy.
- He dumped her and started dating another girl.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
4
Very dirty or ugly place
A house, room, or place that looks very dirty, messy, or broken, and is not nice to be in.
Usage pattern:
[a place] is a dump
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the noun "dump" meaning a garbage site. Here, "a dump" is used figuratively for any place that is very dirty or in bad condition, often a home, room, or building.
Synonyms
slum (Refers to a poor urban area, not just one dirty apartment; more formal and social-science in tone.)
Antonyms
palace (Informally used as an opposite to emphasize that a place is very nice rather than dirty or run-down.)
Collocations
this place is a dump
|live in a dump
|such a dump
|run-down dump
|tiny dump of an apartment
Themes
daily life
|housing
|emotions
|daily_life
Examples
- The hotel looked nice online, but in reality it was a dump.
- He lives in a tiny dump above a noisy bar.
- This kitchen is a complete dump; everything is dirty and broken.
- After the party, the house was a dump with bottles everywhere.
- I can't believe you pay that much to live in such a dump.
Learner examples
- His room is a dump, with clothes on the floor.
- We moved out because the apartment was a dump.
- The bathroom is a dump and smells bad.
- She called his house a dump because it was so dirty.
- This old car is a dump and always breaks.
Verb
B2
action
5
Drop or unload something heavily
To let a lot of things or a large amount of something fall or come out in one place, without putting it there nicely.
Usage pattern:
to dump [something] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners may use only "put" instead of "dump". "Put" is neutral, while "dump" suggests doing it quickly, heavily, or without care. Also, do not confuse this with the relationship meaning: you dump things, but you dump a person only when you end a relationship.
Synonyms
tip (Often used with trucks or containers, and sounds slightly more neutral and controlled than "dump".)
Antonyms
arrange (Opposite manner of placing things: carefully and neatly instead of suddenly and carelessly.)
Collocations
dump a pile of sand
|dump his bags
|dump everything on the floor
|dump the boxes
|dump the load
Themes
daily life
|work
|daily_life
Examples
- The truck dumped a load of fresh gravel onto the driveway.
- He came in and dumped his bags on the sofa.
- Workers dumped the sand in the middle of the road repair site.
- She dumped all the clothes on the bed and started sorting them.
- They dumped the boxes in the corner and left.
Learner examples
- He dumped his school bag on the chair.
- The truck dumped stones on the ground.
- She dumped all the books on the table.
- They dumped the boxes near the door.
- I dumped my keys on the desk and sat down.
Verb
B2
action
6
Get rid of unwanted things
To stop having something, because you do not want it anymore and want to be free of it.
Usage pattern:
to dump [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the more specific waste meaning. Here, the object can be physical ("dump the phone") or abstract ("dump the plan"), and the focus is on no longer wanting it, not on the place where it is left.
Synonyms
ditch (Informal; emphasizes leaving or abandoning something or someone, often suddenly.)
Antonyms
hold on to (Means to keep something instead of getting rid of it.)
Collocations
dump old ideas
|dump the stock
|dump the plan
|dump your old phone
|dump your baggage
Themes
business
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- The company decided to dump its old software and move to a cloud system.
- Investors rushed to dump their shares after the bad news.
- I'm going to dump this old phone and buy a new one.
- She finally dumped the idea after months of trying.
- They dumped the project when they realized it was too expensive.
Learner examples
- He dumped his old computer last year.
- Many people dumped the app after the update.
- I think we should dump this plan and start again.
- She dumped her old clothes and bought new ones.
- The company dumped its old system and used a new one.
Verb
technical
C1
action
7
Sell goods very cheaply abroad
To sell many products in another country for a very low price, usually lower than is fair, to win customers there.
Usage pattern:
to dump [goods] [in a market]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is simply about throwing away goods. In economics, "dump" means selling goods very cheaply in another country, not throwing them in the trash.
Synonyms
undersell (Means to sell at a lower price than others; not always about international trade or unfair pricing.)
Antonyms
price fairly (Suggests setting prices at a normal or just level instead of using very low, possibly unfair dumping prices.)
Collocations
dump cheap steel
|dump products overseas
|dump goods on the market
|accused of dumping
|anti-dumping measures
Themes
business
|economics
|law
|finance
Examples
- The country was accused of dumping cheap steel on the European market.
- New anti-dumping tariffs were introduced to protect local farmers.
- Analysts say the company has been dumping products overseas to clear excess stock.
- The trade body launched an investigation into whether foreign firms were dumping electronics.
- Governments often respond to dumping with special import duties.
Learner examples
- The company was punished for dumping cheap shoes in Europe.
- Some countries dump their products in other markets.
- The government said that foreign firms were dumping steel.
- New laws try to stop companies from dumping goods at low prices.
- They used anti-dumping rules to protect local workers.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
8
Large raw data copy
A big amount of computer data that is copied from one place to another, often without organizing it.
Usage pattern:
a dump of [data]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the garbage meaning. In computing, a "dump" is information, not physical trash.
Synonyms
export (More general and neutral for moving data; does not suggest the same large, raw, or unstructured nature as a "dump".)
Antonyms
snapshot (In some contexts, implies a structured, coherent saved state, while a dump suggests raw, low-level content.)
Collocations
data dump
|database dump
|memory dump
|full dump
|take a dump of the logs
Themes
technology
|computing
|business
Examples
- The engineer requested a full database dump for analysis.
- We received a huge data dump from the old system.
- Support asked her to send a memory dump to help find the bug.
- The leak included a dump of internal emails and documents.
- He created a dump of the logs before restarting the server.
Learner examples
- The IT team made a data dump of the old system.
- Please send us a dump of your error logs.
- They worked with a large dump of sales data.
- We stored a database dump on an external drive.
- He checked the memory dump to find the problem.
Verb
technical
C1
action
9
Copy raw data completely
To copy all the computer data from one place to another place, usually without changing it.
Usage pattern:
to dump [data] [to/into something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "dump" always means to delete data. In computing, it usually means to copy data out, not to remove it.
Synonyms
export (General term for moving data out of a system; "dump" suggests a more complete, low-level copy.)
Antonyms
erase (Opposite operation in computing, as it removes data instead of copying it.)
Collocations
dump the database
|dump memory
|dump the logs
|dump data to a file
|dump output to screen
Themes
technology
|computing
Examples
- The script will dump the database to a backup file every night.
- Developers asked him to dump the logs before restarting the service.
- You can use this tool to dump the entire memory of the process.
- They dumped the sensor data into a CSV file for analysis.
- The program accidentally dumped debug information to the console.
Learner examples
- The engineer dumped the database to a file.
- Please dump the logs so we can see the error.
- This tool can dump all the data from memory.
- She dumped the results into a text file.
- They dumped data to the server every hour.
Noun
vulgar
B2
event
10
Act of defecating (vulgar)
A very rude word for when a person passes solid waste from their body.
Usage pattern:
to take a dump
Common mistake:
Learners may not know that this sense is vulgar and use it in polite situations. It should be avoided in formal or respectful conversation.
Synonyms
bowel movement (Medical and polite term; much more formal and not vulgar.)
Antonyms
constipation (A condition where a person cannot easily have a bowel movement, opposite of successfully passing waste.)
Collocations
take a dump
|huge dump
|leave a dump
|go for a dump
Themes
body
|health
|slang
Examples
- He joked that he needed to take a dump before the long drive.
- Someone left a dump on the sidewalk, and everyone was disgusted.
- The comedian made a crude joke about taking a dump at work.
Learner examples
- He said, in a rude way, that he needed to take a dump.
- This word is vulgar, so do not talk about a dump in polite conversation.
- The kids laughed when someone mentioned taking a dump.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dump
IPA
GB/dˈʌmp/
US/dˈʌmp/
Syllables & stress
dump (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dump)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dump
- Plural: dumps
Verb
- Base: dump
- 3rd Person Singular: dumps
- Present Participle: dumping
- Past: dumped
Word family
Forms
dumps
noun
dumping
verb
dumped
verb
Related words
dumper
noun
dumpster
noun
Expressions
data dump
1/dˈætə dˈʌmp/
fixed phrase
technical
Large amount of raw data
A big set of data, usually copied from one system to another, often without organizing or cleaning it.
Examples
- We received a massive data dump from the old CRM system.
- The leak included a data dump of user information.
- The analyst worked from a raw data dump exported last night.
dump [something] on [someone]
1/dˈʌmp sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
informal
Put unwanted work on someone
To make someone else do work or deal with problems that you do not want to handle yourself.
Examples
- They always dump extra work on the junior staff.
- Don't dump your problems on me at the last minute.
- The manager dumped the boring tasks on the interns.
dump on [someone]
1/dˈʌmp ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
informal
Criticize or treat unfairly
To criticize someone strongly or treat them very unfairly, often when they do not deserve it.
Examples
- I hate the way he always dumps on his team when something goes wrong.
- The media keeps dumping on her for one small mistake.
- Don't dump on me just because you're having a bad day.
dump truck
1/dˈʌmp tɹˈʌk/
fixed phrase
Truck that unloads by tipping
A large truck whose back part can lift up so that sand, stones, or other loose things fall out.
Examples
- A dump truck delivered gravel to the construction site.
- The kids watched the dump truck unload sand at the playground.
- Several dump trucks were working on the new road.
get dumped
1/ɡˈɛt dˈʌmpt/
idiom
informal
Have partner end relationship
To have your boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner end the romantic relationship with you.
Examples
- He got dumped just before Valentine's Day.
- Nobody likes to get dumped, but sometimes it's for the best.
- She was shocked to get dumped over a text message.
in the dumps
1/ˈɪn ðə dˈʌmps/
idiom
informal
Feeling sad and depressed
To feel very sad, unhappy, and with low energy.
Examples
- He's been in the dumps ever since he lost his job.
- After the breakup she was really in the dumps for weeks.
- Rainy weather always puts me in the dumps.
take a dump
1/tˈeɪk ə dˈʌmp/
idiom
vulgar
Defecate (very rude slang)
To defecate; a very rude phrase that should not be used in polite company.
Examples
- He crudely announced that he had to take a dump.
- The movie includes a joke about someone taking a dump at work.
garbage dump
1/ɡˈɑɹbɪd͡ʒ dˈʌmp/
fixed phrase
place where garbage is dumped
A big open place where trucks bring and leave large amounts of garbage.
Examples
- The smell from the garbage dump carries across the whole valley.
- The town's old garbage dump has been turned into a park.
- Trucks lined up to unload at the garbage dump.
- Birds were circling above the garbage dump looking for food.
- They closed the old garbage dump and opened a new landfill.