lumps
lumps — adjective
- lumpspositive
- lumpsercomparative
- lumpsestsuperlative
1. describes a single payment made at one time, rather than being split into severa
describes a single payment made at one time, rather than being split into several smaller payments spread over a period.
The Watanabe family received a lump sum payment of fifty thousand dollars from the insurance company.
lump sum payment — single, one-time amount
Instead of monthly pension checks, Jenna decided to take her retirement savings as one lump sum.
take as one lump sum — choose single payment
The author got a lump sum of two hundred thousand dollars for selling the film rights to his novel.
Many lottery winners choose the lump sum option even though it is smaller than the yearly payments.
- installment
a payment split into smaller amounts over time
- monthly
paid regularly each month rather than once
文法句型
lump sum (payment/amount/prize)
用法筆記
This adjective only appears before the noun 'sum' or in the fixed phrase 'lump sum payment'. It does not describe other types of single items.
常見錯誤
lumps — noun
- lumpssingular
- lumpsesplural
1. a small, solid piece of a substance that has no particular regular shape — for e
a small, solid piece of a substance that has no particular regular shape — for example, a lump of clay, coal, butter, or sugar.
A lump of wet clay sat on the potter's wheel, waiting to be shaped into a bowl.
a lump of + substance (clay, coal, butter, cheese, sugar)
Mira broke off a lump of cheddar cheese from the large block in the fridge.
The night-shift nurse stirred the soup and found a hard lump of cold butter floating in the middle.
Zuri picked up a lump of coal from the pile near the old iron stove.
文法句型
a lump of + substance
常見錯誤
2. a large quantity of money or resources considered as a single unit, especially w
a large quantity of money or resources considered as a single unit, especially when it is separated from a larger total for a specific purpose.
The charity received a large lump of donations after the earthquake news spread across the world.
a large lump of + donations/money/funds
A big lump of the grant money went toward buying new computers for the village school.
The committee decided to give the whole lump of funds to the hospital's cancer research unit.
Ramón's grandfather left him a lump of savings that had been growing in the bank for over forty years.
- chunk
less formal; a chunk of money suggests a sizeable portion
- installment
one of several smaller payments over time
文法句型
a lump of + money/amount
用法筆記
Distinguish from the adjective 'lump sum': that phrase is a fixed term for a single payment, while this noun sense refers to any large amount treated as one block — it is not limited to payments.
常見錯誤
3. a hard swelling that appears on or inside the body, often because of an injury,
a hard swelling that appears on or inside the body, often because of an injury, illness, or infection — something a person might discover and worry about.
Jenna found a small hard lump behind her ear and made an appointment with the doctor the next morning.
find + a lump + on/in [body part]
The doctor said the lump on Dario's neck was just a swollen gland and would go away on its own.
After falling off her bicycle, a painful lump appeared on Aoi's forehead near her left eyebrow.
The nurse gently pressed on the lump in the patient's abdomen and asked if it hurt when she touched it.
文法句型
a lump on + body part
a lump in + body part
用法筆記
When a person discovers a new lump on their body, it is common to say they 'found a lump.' This sense is frequently used with verbs like 'find,' 'discover,' 'check,' and 'feel.'
常見錯誤
4. a rude way to call someone heavy, clumsy, or slow-witted — especially when their
a rude way to call someone heavy, clumsy, or slow-witted — especially when their movements cause problems for people nearby.
Get out of the way, you great lump — you almost knocked over the entire display shelf.
you great lump — British informal insult
The other children called him a lump because he was always tripping over his own feet in PE class.
Don't just stand there like a great lump — help us carry these boxes down to the van.
The movers called Nikhil a clumsy lump after he dropped the corner of the sofa on his own foot.
文法句型
you great lump
you big lump
a lump of a person
用法筆記
This is a harsh insult, similar to calling someone 'a big oaf.' It is not used in polite conversation. Typically appears in the fixed phrase 'great lump' or 'big lump.'
lumps — verb
- lumpspresent simple I / you / we / they
- lumpses3rd person singular
- lumpsing-ing form
- lumpsedpast simple
1. to tolerate an unpleasant rule or situation when you have no other option — this
to tolerate an unpleasant rule or situation when you have no other option — this verb only appears in the fixed saying 'like it or lump it' or together with 'have to' or 'can.'
The new schedule means we work every Saturday now, and if we do not like it, we can lump it.
if [someone does] not like it, [someone] can lump it — fixed expression
The hotel room was tiny with no window, but no other rooms were available, so Sivan had to lump it.
have to lump it — accept reluctantly with no choice
Iker complained about the new company policy, but his manager simply said like it or lump it.
The flight was delayed six hours and the airline refused refunds, so passengers had no choice but to lump it.
- put up with
more neutral, less idiomatic; can be used in full sentences
文法句型
have to lump it
like it or lump it
lump it
用法筆記
This verb is never used in ordinary positive sentences ('I lumped the situation'). It appears only in idiomatic expressions: 'like it or lump it' (a fixed saying), or 'have to lump it' (meaning there is no alternative). It is always informal.
常見錯誤
2. to put different people or things into the same group or category, even though t
to put different people or things into the same group or category, even though they are not really the same — often used when the speaker thinks this grouping is unfair or wrong.
You cannot lump all Asian countries together — each one has a very different language and cultural tradition.
lump + plural noun + together
The report lumped small family businesses and giant corporations into a single category called 'private enterprises.'
lump + noun + into + category
Iris felt the teacher was wrong to lump all the struggling students into one group without examining each case.
At the recycling centre, the guard lumped the bottles, jars, and cans into one bin.
- distinguish
to see or point out differences between things
- separate
to divide into distinct groups based on differences
文法句型
lump + object + together
lump + object + in/into + group/category
用法筆記
This verb is nearly always followed by 'together' or 'into,' and the object is usually a plural noun referring to people or things that should be distinguished. The passive form ('be lumped together') is very common.