bump

verb

/bʌmp/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they bump	/bʌmp/ /bʌmp/
he / she / it bumps	/bʌmps/ /bʌmps/
past simple bumped	/bʌmpt/ /bʌmpt/
past participle bumped	/bʌmpt/ /bʌmpt/
-ing form bumping	/ˈbʌmpɪŋ/ /ˈbʌmpɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive] to hit somebody/something by accident
- bump into somebody/something In the dark I bumped into a chair.
- bump against somebody/something The car bumped against the kerb.
Synonyms hit
hit
- knock
- bang
- strike
- bump
- bash
These words all mean to come against something with a lot of force.
- hit to come against somebody/something with force, especially causing damage or injury:
  The boy was hit by a speeding car.
- knock to hit something so that it moves or breaks; to put somebody/something into a particular state or position by hitting them/it:
  Someone had knocked a hole in the wall.
- bang to hit something in a way that makes a loud noise:
  The baby was banging the table with his spoon.
- strike (formal) to hit somebody/something hard:
  The ship struck a rock.
- bump to hit somebody/something by accident:
  In the darkness I bumped into a chair.
- bash (informal) to hit against something very hard:
  I braked too late, bashing into the car in front.
Patterns
- to hit/knock/bang/bump/bash against somebody/something
- to knock/bang/bump/bash into somebody/something
- to hit/strike the ground/floor/wall
Extra Examples
- I bumped into the corner of a table as I left.
- I ran after her, bumping against people in my rush.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- accidentally
- gently
- almost
- …
preposition
- against
- into
- on
- …
See full entry
[transitive] bump something (against/on something) to hit something, especially a part of your body, against or on something
- Be careful not to bump your head on the beam when you stand up.
Extra Examples
- I bumped my head on the door frame.
- She bumped her knee as she was climbing into the pool.
- Their boat came up alongside, bumping the side of ours.
- Toddlers are always falling over and bumping their heads.
Topics Illnessb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- accidentally
- gently
- almost
- …
preposition
- against
- into
- on
- …
See full entry
[intransitive, transitive] to move across a rough surface
- + adv./prep. The jeep bumped along the dirt track.
- bump something + adv./prep. The car bumped its way slowly down the drive.
- She entered the subway, bumping her bags down the steps.
[transitive] bump somebody + adv./prep. to move somebody from one group or position to another; to remove somebody from a group
- The airline apologized and bumped us up to first class.
- If you are bumped off an airline because of overbooking, you are entitled to compensation.
- The coach told him he had been bumped from the crew.
Topics Transport by airc2

Word Originmid 16th cent. (as a verb): imitative, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.

bump

noun

/bʌmp/

Idioms

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[countable] the action or sound of something hitting a hard surface
- We could hear loud bumps from upstairs where the children were playing.
- with a bump He fell to the ground with a bump.
- We landed with a loud bump.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- loud
- minor
- slight
- …
verb + bump
- feel
- take
preposition
- with a bump
See full entry
[countable] a swelling (= an area that is larger and rounder than normal) on the body, often caused when you have been hit synonym lump
- She was covered in bumps and bruises.
- How did you get that bump on your forehead?
Topics Illnessb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- big
- huge
- large
- …
verb + bump
- get
- have
preposition
- bump on
phrases
- bumps and bruises
See full entry
(also baby bump)
(informal) the round shape of a woman’s stomach when she is pregnant
- She showed off her expanding bump in a black dress and cowboy boots.
[countable] a part of a flat surface that is not even, but raised above the rest of it
- a bump in the road
see also bumpy
Extra Examples
- We hit a bump and the car swerved.
- (figurative) My job is to smooth out the bumps in supply and demand.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- speed
verb + bump
- hit
- smooth out
preposition
- bump in
See full entry
[countable] a slight accident in which your vehicle hits something
- I had a bump in the car earlier, but it wasn’t serious.
Topics Transport by car or lorryc1
the bumps
[plural] (British English) (on a child’s birthday) the act of lifting the child in the air and then putting them down on the ground, once for every year of their age
- We gave her the bumps.

Word Originmid 16th cent. (as a verb): imitative, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.

Idioms

come back/down to earth (with a bang/bump) | bring somebody (back) down to earth (with a bang/bump)

(informal) to return, or to make somebody return, to a normal way of thinking or behaving after a time when you/they have been very excited, not very practical, etc. see also down to earth

things that go bump in the night

(informal, humorous) used to refer to ghosts and other supernatural things that cannot be explained
- There are mysterious lights in the sky and things that go bump in the night.