hump
hump — noun
- humpsingular
- humpsplural
1. a rounded part of a surface that sticks up noticeably from the area around it
a rounded part of a surface that sticks up noticeably from the area around it
The old road had a sharp hump that made cyclists slow right down.
collocation: sharp hump
Adisa drove too fast over the speed hump and spilled his coffee.
collocation: speed hump
Mira felt a small hump under the carpet where a cable ran underneath.
A grassy hump in the middle of the field marked the old burial site.
用法筆記
Used for natural bumps in land, man-made speed humps on roads, or anything that creates a rounded rise in an otherwise flat surface.
常見錯誤
2. a large rounded lump of flesh or bone that sticks up from the upper spine of a p
a large rounded lump of flesh or bone that sticks up from the upper spine of a person or the shoulders of an animal — camels and bison have natural humps, while in humans a hump usually comes from a curved spine
The camel's hump stores fat that it lives on when food is scarce.
camel's hump — typical subject
Jiwoo noticed a small hump on the old dog's back near its shoulders.
hump on an animal's back
A spinal hump made the elderly woman stoop forward as she walked.
The bison's thick hump sits above its massive shoulder muscles for support.
用法筆記
For animals, the hump is a natural body part (camels, bison, some cattle breeds). For humans, it typically refers to a visible curve of the upper spine, often from osteoporosis or years of poor posture.
3. the toughest, most critical stage of a task, journey, or difficult period — almo
the toughest, most critical stage of a task, journey, or difficult period — almost always appearing as 'over the hump', meaning the worst is behind you
Brooke felt relieved once the team was over the hump of the project.
over the hump — past the hardest part
After four days of fever, Hoa was finally over the hump and recovering well.
over the hump + recovering (illness context)
The proposal hit a hump when the board asked for more detailed numbers.
Getting past the first year meant the café was finally over the hump.
- obstacle
a general word for anything that blocks progress
- turning point
the moment things change direction, rather than the difficult phase itself
文法句型
over the hump
用法筆記
Almost always used in the pattern 'over the hump' (past the worst) or occasionally 'hit a hump' (encountered a difficulty). Rare outside these fixed expressions.
常見錯誤
4. an irritated, sulky state of mind — used in British English, almost always appea
an irritated, sulky state of mind — used in British English, almost always appearing as 'get the hump'
Quinn got the hump when nobody offered him a slice of the cake.
get the hump — become annoyed
Mert got the hump after waiting forty minutes for a late bus.
get the hump + reason clause
Don't get the hump just because your team lost by one point.
Romi got the hump with her sister for borrowing her coat without asking.
文法句型
get the hump
用法筆記
Distinctly British. Implies a sulky, childish kind of annoyance rather than serious anger. American English speakers would say 'get annoyed' or 'get upset' instead.
常見錯誤
hump — verb
- humppresent simple I / you / we / they
- humps3rd person singular
- humping-ing form
- humpedpast simple
1. to lift and carry something heavy from one place to another, usually with visibl
to lift and carry something heavy from one place to another, usually with visible effort and strain
Mathieu humped the heavy suitcase up three flights of narrow stairs.
hump + object + direction
The porter humped sacks of grain from the truck into the warehouse.
hump + from ... into — movement pattern
We humped boxes of books across the courtyard in the hot sun.
Ari humped his camping gear over the steep hill to reach the lake.
文法句型
hump + [something heavy] + [direction/location]
用法筆記
Always transitive. The object is something physically carried — you hump a bag or a box, not a responsibility or an idea. The word emphasises the effort, not just the action.
常見錯誤
2. a crude slang term for having sex with someone — considered vulgar and best avoi
a crude slang term for having sex with someone — considered vulgar and best avoided in polite conversation
The stray dog kept trying to hump every cushion in the living room.
animal context — common for dogs
Dimitri told his flatmate to stop talking about humping every woman on the street.
hump + object — vulgar transitive use
Some teenage boys joke crudely about humping and make others uncomfortable.
Ingrid cringed when her cousin joked about humping the waitress at dinner.
文法句型
hump + [someone]
hump (intransitive)
用法筆記
Strongly vulgar. Used mainly by young men or in crude humour. For animals (especially dogs), it is less shocking but remains informal. Learners should avoid this word and use 'have sex' instead in all normal contexts.
常見錯誤
3. to curve your spine forward, making your back round into a hump-like shape — peo
to curve your spine forward, making your back round into a hump-like shape — people do this when cold, in pain, or concentrating hard; animals do it when threatened
Hoa humped her shoulders against the cold wind blowing down the street.
hump + one's shoulders
The cat humped its back and hissed when the stranger came too close.
cat humps its back — defensive posture
Sofia humped forward over her desk, squinting at the tiny handwriting.
The old gardener humped his back as he bent to pull out the weeds.
- straighten
to bring the spine back to an upright position
文法句型
hump + one's back/shoulders
hump forward/over
用法筆記
Less common than 'hunch', which means almost the same thing. The transitive pattern takes 'back' or 'shoulders' as its object; the intransitive pattern uses 'forward' or 'over'.