jump
to spring clear of the ground or other support by a sudden muscular effort; leap: to jump into the air; to jump out a window.
to rise suddenly or quickly: He jumped from his seat when she entered.
to move or jerk suddenly, as from surprise or shock: He jumped when the firecracker exploded.
to obey quickly and energetically; hustle: The waiter was told to jump when the captain signaled.
Informal. to be full of activity; bustle: The whole town is jumping with excitement.
to start a campaign, program, military attack, etc.; launch an activity, especially of major proportions (usually followed by off): The march jumped off early in the morning.
Checkers. to move from one side of an opponent's piece to a vacant square on the opposite side, thus capturing the opponent's piece.
to rise suddenly in amount, price, etc.: Costs jumped again this quarter.
to pass abruptly, ignoring intervening steps or deliberation: to jump to a conclusion.
to change abruptly: The traffic light jumped from green to red.
to move or change suddenly, haphazardly, aimlessly, or after a short period: He jumped from job to job.
to pass or go aimlessly: He jumped from one thing to another without being able to concentrate on anything.
Digital Technology. to pass instantaneously, and sometimes randomly, to a point out of sequence for entering, recording, or playing back data; skip: Notice that when you press "End" the cursor jumps to the end of the line.The music streaming service keeps jumping back to the top of the playlist.
to parachute from an airplane.
to take eagerly; seize (often followed by at): He jumped at the offer of a free trip.
to enter into something with vigor (usually followed by in or into): She jumped into the discussion right away.
to advance rapidly from one level to another, especially in rank; pass through or skip intermediate stages in a forward or upward progression: He jumped from clerk to general manager in a year.
Movies. (of a shot or frame) to fail to line up properly with the preceding or following frames because of a mechanical fault in the camera or projector.
Bridge. to make a jump bid: She jumped from three clubs to four spades.
Journalism. (of newspaper copy) to continue on a subsequent page, following intervening copy (opposed to turn).
to leap or spring over: to jump a narrow stream.
to cause to leap: She jumped the horse over the fence.
to skip or pass over; bypass: to jump the third grade in school.
to move past or start before (a signal); anticipate: One car jumped the red light and collided with a truck.
to increase sharply: The store jumped its prices.
Checkers. to capture (an opponent's piece) by leaping over.
to attack or pounce upon without warning, as from ambush: The thugs jumped him in a dark alley.
to elevate or advance, especially in rank, by causing to skip or pass rapidly through intermediate stages: The boss jumped his son from mail clerk to plant manager.
Bridge. to raise (the bid) by more than necessary to reach the next bidding level, especially as a signal to one's partner.
Informal.
to abscond from; leave: The robbers jumped town.
to flee or escape from.
to seize or occupy illegally or forcibly (a mining claim or the like), as on the ground of some flaw in the holder's title.
(of trains, trolleys, etc.) to spring off or leave (the track).
to get on board (a train, bus, etc.) quickly or with little planning or preparation for the trip: He jumped a plane for Chicago.
Journalism. to continue (a story) from one page to another over intervening copy.
Metalworking. to upset; thicken (a bar or the like) by striking the end (often followed by up).
Slang: Vulgar. to engage in an act of sexual intercourse with.
to connect (a dead battery) to a live battery by attaching booster cables between the respective terminals.
an act or instance of jumping; leap.
a space, obstacle, apparatus, or the like, cleared or to be cleared in a leap.
a short or hurried journey.
a descent by parachute from an airplane.
a sudden rise in amount, price, etc.: a considerable jump in the stock market.
a sudden upward or other movement of an inanimate object.
an abrupt transition from one point or thing to another, with omission of what intervenes: The speaker made an unexplained jump in topic.
a move or one of a series of moves: The gangster stayed one jump ahead of the police.
Sports. any of several contests that feature a leap or jump.: Compare long jump (def. 2), high jump (def. 1).
Movies. a break in the continuity of action due to a failure to match the action of one frame with the following one of the same scene.
a sudden start as from nervous excitement: He gave a jump when the firecracker went off.
Checkers. the act of taking an opponent's piece by leaping over it to an unoccupied square.
the jumps, Informal. restlessness; nervousness; anxiety: Long trips in trains and planes give me the jumps.
Also called breakover .Journalism. the part of a story continued on another page.
Mathematics. the difference in limit values at a jump discontinuity of a given function.
Automotive. jump-start (def. 1).
Jazz.
of, relating to, or characteristic of swing.
of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz; played at a bright tempo.
Obsolete. exactly; precisely.
jump on, to blame or rebuke; reprimand: He'll jump on anyone who contradicts him.
Idioms about jump
get / have the jump on, to get or have a head start or an initial advantage over: They got the jump on us in selling the item, but we finally caught up.
jump aboard / on board, to join a group, activity, etc., especially one that has been operating or functioning for some time: After some hesitation, he jumped aboard and contributed heavily to the campaign.
jump all over, to reprimand or criticize: You don't have to jump all over me just because I'm a little late.
jump bail. bail1 (def. 7).
jump down someone's throat. throat (def. 12).
jump in / into with both feet, to join or enter into exuberantly, eagerly, hastily, etc.
jump ship. ship1 (def. 16).
jump the gun. gun1 (def. 15).
jump the shark. shark1 (def. 2).
on the jump, in a hurry; running about: Lively youngsters keep their parents on the jump.
Origin of jump
1synonym study For jump
Other words from jump
- jump·a·ble, adjective
- jump·ing·ly, adverb
- outjump, verb (used with object)
- un·jump·a·ble, adjective
Words that may be confused with jump
Words Nearby jump
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use jump in a sentence
For a lot of those posting fitness content, this means showing off how much they can bench press, how far they can jump, or how spectacular their backflip is.
Use TikTok to build the perfect workout | Sandra Gutierrez G. | September 17, 2020 | Popular-ScienceDays later, France recorded a jump of 10,000 new cases in one day.
Sticking with iOS, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold to see apps you’ve used recently—browse through them or tap on one to jump right to it.
Get around your phone more quickly than you already are | David Nield | September 16, 2020 | Popular-ScienceTikTok’s proprietary algorithm has been called its “secret sauce” and is one reason why companies have jumped at the chance to buy the app’s US operations.
The Sparks have more players who can beat you than any other team, and their role players — like pogo-stick-with-a-jump-shot Brittney Sykes and ageless Seimone Augustus — know precisely what play is necessary in a key moment.
It’s Win Or Go Home This Week In The WNBA Playoffs | Howard Megdal | September 15, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
The collection includes kimono capes and hand woven jump overalls.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech | Liza Foreman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTIn August 1984, I arrived at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, eager to jump into college life.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything | Liz Seccuro | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhy not finish hard on a cliffhanger and the next one just jump straight back in?
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth | Alex Suskind | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWould I like to tell half the people I work with to go jump off a cliff?
The Hot Designer Who Hates Fashion: VK Nagrani Triumphs His Own Way | Tom Teodorczuk | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHer new friends jump to her defense and loudly tell the clerk to back off.
The sound of my step shall make your heart jump; a look from me shall make you dumb for an hour.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le FanuWe haven't even seen a review of the piece; the footlights go up with a jump, and now the curtain rises.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsAnd it did not take Squinty long to learn to jump the rope when there was no apple on the other side.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumIt'll be beastly dull for her at The Warren, you see, poor girl; and she doesn't seem to jump at Spunyarn, though he does hang on.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsAnd it is quite true that the particular employer can no more break away from these limits than he can jump out of his own skin.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen Leacock
British Dictionary definitions for jump
/ (dʒʌmp) /
(intr) to leap or spring clear of the ground or other surface by using the muscles in the legs and feet
(tr) to leap over or clear (an obstacle): to jump a gap
(tr) to cause to leap over an obstacle: to jump a horse over a hedge
(intr) to move or proceed hastily (into, onto, out of, etc): she jumped into a taxi and was off
(tr) informal to board so as to travel illegally on: he jumped the train as it was leaving
(intr) to parachute from an aircraft
(intr) to jerk or start, as with astonishment, surprise, etc: she jumped when she heard the explosion
to rise or cause to rise suddenly or abruptly
to pass or skip over (intervening objects or matter): she jumped a few lines and then continued reading
(intr) to change from one thing to another, esp from one subject to another
(tr) to drill by means of a jumper
(intr) (of a film)
to have sections of a continuous sequence omitted, as through faulty cutting
to flicker, as through faulty alignment of the film
(tr) US to promote in rank, esp unexpectedly or to a higher rank than expected
(tr) to start (a car) using jump leads
draughts to capture (an opponent's piece) by moving one of one's own pieces over it to an unoccupied square
(intr) bridge to bid in response to one's partner at a higher level than is necessary, to indicate a strong hand
(tr) to come off (a track, rail, etc): the locomotive jumped the rails
(intr) (of the stylus of a record player) to be jerked out of the groove
(intr) slang to be lively: the party was jumping when I arrived
(tr) informal to attack without warning: thieves jumped the old man as he walked through the park
(tr) informal (of a driver or a motor vehicle) to pass through (a red traffic light) or move away from (traffic lights) before they change to green
(tr) British slang (of a man) to have sexual intercourse with
jump bail to forfeit one's bail by failing to appear in court, esp by absconding
jump down someone's throat informal to address or reply to someone with unexpected sharpness
jump ship to desert, esp to leave a ship in which one is legally bound to serve
jump the queue See queue-jump
jump to it informal to begin something quickly and efficiently
an act or instance of jumping
a space, distance, or obstacle to be jumped or that has been jumped
a descent by parachute from an aircraft
sport any of several contests involving a jump: the high jump
a sudden rise: the jump in prices last month
a sudden or abrupt transition
a sudden jerk or involuntary muscular spasm, esp as a reaction of surprise
a step or degree: one jump ahead
draughts a move that captures an opponent's piece by jumping over it
films
a break in continuity in the normal sequence of shots
(as modifier): a jump cut
computing another name for branch (def. 7)
British slang an act of sexual intercourse
on the jump informal, mainly US and Canadian
in a hurry
busy and energetic
take a running jump British informal a contemptuous expression of dismissal
Origin of jump
1Derived forms of jump
- jumpable, adjective
- jumpingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with jump
In addition to the idioms beginning with jump
- jump all over someone
- jump at
- jump bail
- jump down someone's throat
- jump in
- jump on
- jump out of one's skin
- jump the gun
- jump the track
- jump through hoops
- jump to a conclusion
also see:
- get the drop (jump) on
- go fly a kite (jump in the lake)
- hop, skip and a jump
- not know which way to jump
- one jump ahead of
- skip (jump) bail
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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