noun Uncommon

hump

huhmp

Hump (noun) means a rounded raised lump or bulge, such as on a camel's back or in a road. Example: “The car slowed down for the speed hump.”

noun

A rounded raised lump or bulge, such as on a camel's back or in a road.

"The car slowed down for the speed hump."

"The camel's hump stores fat, not water."

verb

(informal) To carry something heavy, especially with effort.

"They humped their suitcases up four flights of stairs."

How to use hump

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA rounded bump — on an animal, road, or landscape — or, informally, to lug something heavy around.

When to use it

"Hump" also has crude slang meanings (for sex); use with care depending on context.

Common pairings

speed hump camel's hump hump a bag

Word forms

humped past tense, humps plural, humps singular

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The car slowed down for the speed _____.

Etymology

Likely borrowed from Dutch or Low German words meaning "lump" or "heap," related to a wider Germanic root for something curved.

Origin: Germanic

Synonyms

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shoulder tote trek walk bone ride shag copulate with irk rile hike

Related words

very car friend march walk travel carry ride

Rhymes for hump

UMP jump dump pump bump lump rump sump Gump crump chump stump

See all rhymes for hump →

Frequently asked questions

What does “hump” mean?

The word “hump” means a rounded raised lump or bulge, such as on a camel's back or in a road. In plain terms, a rounded bump — on an animal, road, or landscape — or, informally, to lug something heavy around.

How do you pronounce “hump”?

“Hump” is pronounced huhmp (/hʌmp/ in IPA).

How do you use “hump” in a sentence?

Here is “hump” used in a sentence: “The car slowed down for the speed hump.”

What is another word for “hump”?

Words with a similar meaning to “hump” include shoulder, tote, trek, walk, bone and ride.

What part of speech is “hump”?

Depending on how it is used, “hump” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “hump” come from?

The word “hump” comes from Germanic. Likely borrowed from Dutch or Low German words meaning "lump" or "heap," related to a wider Germanic root for something curved.

Is “hump” a common word?

“Hump” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “hump” have?

“Hump” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a rounded raised lump or bulge, such as on a camel's back or in a road.

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Vocabulary lists that include hump:

Words with germanic origins Words that end with P

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