bumpy
Americanadjective
-
of uneven surface; full of bumps.
a bumpy road.
-
full of jolts.
a bumpy ride.
-
causing jolts.
Bumpy air shook the airplane.
-
having many difficulties or failures; full of ups and downs.
He had a rather bumpy career before he settled down in his present job.
adjective
-
having an uneven surface
a bumpy road
-
full of jolts; rough
a bumpy flight
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bumpy
Explanation
Bumpy means not smooth, as in covered in lumps and bumps, like a bumpy path that makes your car bounce, or a bumpy road to getting your parents to lend you the car. Anything covered in bumps is bumpy, whether it’s a road, the skin of a toad, or the surface of the birthday cake you made for your brother. It can also describe a ride full of unexpected jolts and bumps: "It was a bumpy journey along the mountain passes in her Jeep." Figuratively, bumpy can also describe a difficult process: "What a bumpy ride that was, getting my visa to travel to China!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The calf, which has been named Bumpy, was "just days old" when it became orphaned, according to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a charity whose keepers are now taking care of it.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Whitaker is a producer as well as lead of the drama series about New York crime boss Bumpy Johnson and his 1960s post-prison life, when trouble is afoot in his community.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 5, 2019
Bumpy asteroid The first US attempt to bring asteroid dust back to Earth faces a new challenge.
From Nature • Mar. 26, 2019
Bumpy road: Uber is aiming to straighten up and fly right, the AP reports.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2017
Bumpy roads and no signs, no stores, no gas stations.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
