dump

American  

[duhmp] / dʌmp /

verb (used with object)

1. to drop or let fall in a mass; fling down or drop heavily or suddenly.

   Dump the topsoil here.

2. to empty out, as from a container, by tilting or overturning.

3. to unload or empty out (a container), as by tilting or overturning.

4. to dismiss, fire, or release from a contract.

   The first baseman was dumped from the team after hitting .210 for the first half of the season.

5. Informal. to end a relationship with (someone, especially a romantic partner), especially when the decision is one-sided.

   I can’t believe she waited until just after Valentine’s Day to dump me.

6. to transfer or rid oneself of suddenly and irresponsibly.

   Don't dump your troubles on me!

7. Boxing Slang.

   1. to knock down.

      The champion was dumped twice but won the fight.

   2. to lose (a match) intentionally.

      a bribe to dump a fight.

8. Commerce.

   1. to put (goods or securities) on the market in large quantities and at a low price without regard to the effect on market conditions.

   2. to sell (goods) into foreign markets below cost in order to promote exports or damage foreign competition.

9. Computers. to print, display, or record on an output medium (the contents of a computer's internal storage or the contents of a file), often at the time a program fails.

10. Slang. to kill; murder.

    There were threats to dump him if he didn't pay up.

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verb (used without object)

1. to fall or drop down suddenly.

2. to throw away or discard garbage, refuse, etc.

3. Commerce.

   1. to offer goods for sale in large quantities at a low price.

   2. to dump below-cost goods into foreign markets.

4. to release contents.

   a sewage pipe that dumps in the ocean.

5. Informal. to complain, criticize, gossip, or tell another person one's problems.

   He calls me up just to dump.

6. Slang: Vulgar. defecate.

noun

1. an accumulation of discarded garbage, refuse, etc.

2. Also called dumpsite, dumping-ground.  a place where garbage, refuse, etc., is deposited.

3. Military.

   1. a collection of ammunition, stores, etc., deposited at some point, as near a battlefront, for distribution.

   2. the ammunition, stores, etc., so deposited.

4. the act of dumping.

5. Mining.

   1. a runway or embankment equipped with tripping devices, from which low-grade ore, rock, etc., are dumped.

   2. the pile of ore so dumped.

6. Informal. a place, house, or town that is dilapidated, dirty, or disreputable.

7. (in merchandising) a bin or specially made carton in which items are displayed for sale.

   Fifty copies of the best-selling paperback novel were in a dump near the checkout counter.

8. Computers. a copy of the contents of a computer's internal storage or of the contents of a file at a given instant, that is printed, displayed, or stored on an output medium.

9. Slang: Vulgar. an act of defecating; evacuation.

   This photo is fantastic, except for the dog you can see taking a dump in the background.

idioms

1. dump on (someone),

   1. to treat with disrespect, especially to criticize harshly or attack with verbal abuse.

      Reporters never tired of dumping on certain public figures.

   2. to unload one's problems onto (another person).

      You never phone me without dumping on me.

dump ¹ British  

/ dʌmp /

verb

1. to drop, fall, or let fall heavily or in a mass

2. (tr) to empty (objects or material) out of a container

3. to unload, empty, or make empty (a container), as by tilting or overturning

4. informal (tr) to dispose of

5. (tr) to dispose of (waste, esp radioactive nuclear waste) in the sea or on land

6. commerce

   1. to market (goods) in bulk and at low prices

   2. to offer for sale large quantities of (goods) on foreign markets at low prices in order to maintain a high price in the home market and obtain a share of the foreign markets

7. (tr) to store (supplies, arms, etc) temporarily

8. slang (intr) to defecate

9. (tr) surfing (of a wave) to hurl a swimmer or surfer down

10. (tr) to compact (bales of wool) by hydraulic pressure

11. (tr) computing to record (the contents of part or all of the memory) on a storage device, such as magnetic tape, at a series of points during a computer run

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noun

1. 1. a place or area where waste materials are dumped

   2. ( in combination )

      rubbish dump

2. a pile or accumulation of rubbish

3. the act of dumping

4. informal a dirty or unkempt place

5. military a place where weapons, supplies, etc, are stored

6. slang an act of defecation

dump ² British  

/ dʌmp /

noun

1. obsolete a mournful song; lament

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Other Word Forms

• dumper
  noun
• undumped
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dump

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English dompen, dumpen in the sense “to fall suddenly, plunge,” from Old Norse dumpa “to thump, strike, bump”; modern senses of the transitive verb and noun are unknown before the 19th century, perhaps derive from another source, or are an independent expressive formation

Explanation

A dump is a place where trash is stored in piles and often buried underground. If you have an old bike that can't be repaired, you might take it to the dump. Some towns have dumps where residents can freely dispose of garbage, while others require people to pay for the rubbish they bring. You can also call a dump a "landfill," but dump makes sense — it comes from the verb dump, "to toss, drop, or throw away." A figurative meaning of the word is to abruptly and unkindly break off a romantic relationship with someone: "It would be so mean to dump him on his birthday."

Example Sentences

Appeared in the November 14, 2025, print edition as 'Investors Dump Technology Stocks'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Dump trucks carried the soil to an immense sluicing operation, where water from two reservoirs washed away dirt to reveal gold nuggets.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

"You're going to see a $30 Tonka Mighty Dump Truck become a $45 Tonka Mighty Dump Truck," Foreman told NPR.

From Salon • Dec. 10, 2024

Dump trucks rumble throughout the small city, including in front of the 160-year-old City Hall, where jackhammers and excavators claw at the pavement, following plans to green the adjacent plaza with trees and benches.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2024

I decided to take a left, then go back to The Dump along another block so people didn’t think I was lost or something.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

• deposit
• discard
• discharge
• dispose of
• ditch
• drain
• empty
• get rid of
• jettison
• leave
• scrap
• unload