English · Word Candidate

bump

/bʌmp/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: bumps · bumped

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A light blow or jolting collision.

Noun

His car had a tiny bump with a moving bus.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

The sound of such a collision.

Noun

He heard a loud bump and saw the front part of his car was broken and the driver of the other car was running to apologise.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To knock against or run into with a jolt.

Verb

Their car got bumped while they were turning at the junction.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To move up or down by a step; displace.

Verb

I bumped the font size up to make my document easier to read.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “bump” mean?

A light blow or jolting collision.

Is “bump” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.