WordGarden.iohump
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈʌmp/
US
- /ˈhəmp/
Meanings
Noun
a rounded raised part on the back of a camel or other animal
a rounded mound or raised projection on a surface
a difficult stage or obstacle to get past
Verb
to carry or move something heavy with effort
(slang)to have sex with or thrust against sexually
Beyond the definition
A hump can be a rounded bump, like the one on a camel's back or a raised part of a road. It can also mean the hardest part of a task or journey. If you say you're "over the hump," you mean the worst part is finished and things should get easier from there.
As a verb, hump can mean to carry something heavy with a lot of effort, often on your back. The word also appears in everyday phrases like "hump day" for Wednesday, the middle of the workweek.
The word "hump" has several meanings, all revolving around the idea of a raised portion or a challenging point. Most literally, a hump is a rounded protuberance—like the distinctive bump on a camel's back that stores fat, allowing it to survive long journeys without food or water. You might also encounter humps in geography or infrastructure, such as "speed humps" designed to slow down traffic on a busy road.
However, "hump" often describes something more abstract. When you say you've "gotten over the hump," you mean you've overcome the most difficult part of a task or situation. It implies that the hardest part is behind you and the path forward will be much easier. For example: "The project was slow to start, but we finally got over the hump, and now we're ahead of schedule."
"Hump" can also be used as a verb meaning to lug or carry something heavy on your back, which often causes your body to hunch into a rounded shape. "He humped his heavy backpack up the steep hill." This usage emphasizes the physical strain and effort involved in moving a load.
Finally, "hump day" is a popular slang term for Wednesday. It is considered the middle of the workweek—the metaphorical "hill" one must climb before the descent toward the weekend begins. Whether it's a physical bump, a challenging obstacle, or a heavy burden, "hump" always suggests something that requires effort to navigate, carry, or overcome.
Examples
- 1
Landscape
We walked over a low hump of grass and saw the lake below.
- 2
Road safety
The car slowed down at the speed hump outside the school.
- Phrasespeed hump
a raised part of the road that makes cars slow down
- 3
Animal anatomy
Camels can survive for a long time because they store fat in their humps.
- 4
Difficult stage
We are finally over the hump, and the rest of the project should be easier.
- Phraseover the hump
past the most difficult stage
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Workweek
By Wednesday afternoon, people in the office were already calling it hump day.
- Phrasehump day
Wednesday, the middle of the workweek
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- camel's hump
- speed hump
- hump of a hill
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- humpnounverb
Forms
- humping-ing formverbnoun
- humpspluralnounverb
- humpedpast tenseverbnoun