dump

American  

[duhmp] / dʌmp /

verb (used with object)

• dumps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dumped,
  past participle,  past
• dumping
  present participle

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)

• dumps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dumped,
  past participle,  past
• dumping
  present participle

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

• dumps
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• dumper
  noun
• undumped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dumps
  plural

Participles

• dumping
  present
• dumped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dump
  simple
• dumps
  simple
• have dumped
  perfect
• has dumped
  perfect
• am dumping
  progressive
• are dumping
  progressive
• is dumping
  progressive
• have been dumping
  perfect progressive
• has been dumping
  perfect progressive

Past

• dumped
  simple
• had dumped
  perfect
• was dumping
  progressive
• were dumping
  progressive
• had been dumping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dump
  simple
• will have dumped
  perfect
• will be dumping
  progressive
• will have been dumping
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

dump dumps dumped dumping

Gowan told Sheen in the documentary: "There was no regulation at the time, they could dump it wherever they wanted to."

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Caterpillar said the artificial intelligence boom continues to drive demand for its engines and generators, while healthy construction spending is spurring sales of its dump trucks, bulldozers and excavators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

She gets him within spitting distance of Downing Street just in time for her husband to dump her.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

That refers to when countries overproduce and then dump their excess goods into another nation, potentially putting the importer’s local manufacturers out of business.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Chicken was snoring, sounding like a miniature dump truck in her ear.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

To keep its head above water, China dumps its excess capacity on world markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

As the youngest in her family, her siblings and cousins told her about their experience, making friends on the dance floor and the huge photo dumps on Facebook.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Also included are the sites of underground gas storage facilities, refineries, fuel terminals, legacy pollution sites, active industrial sites, landfills, dumps and recycling centers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026

Guillermo Deferrari, of Ushuaia's scientific research center, downplayed the landfill theory, explaining that the colilargo is herbivore and lives off seeds and fruit found in forested ecosystems, not in dumps, where the common rat feeds.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

She runs water in the sink and dumps the plates and utensils into it with a loud clatter.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Tropical Storm Lala on Saturday dumped heavy rain on Hawaii's Big Island, with hurricane-force winds and heavy surf expected.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

He dumped his six-figure position in bitcoin in August last year and is now entirely invested in artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Retail traders dumped tech shares in recent days, analysts say, as did highflying AI-focused hedge fund Situational Awareness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Their individual payloads of more than 1,000 gallons of water are then dumped onto the flames below.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Kermit, João, Simplicio, and Trigueiro the dog were dumped into the river along with ten days’ worth of food rations and tools for boat building.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

A community garden has replaced a drug market, a library stands where an unofficial dumping ground once accumulated milk crates, and formerly deserted blocks now have families moving in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Earlier this year, a prolific waste criminal was ordered to pay £1.2m in compensation for illegally dumping more than 4,000 tonnes of waste across England.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Skip the headline about Japan dumping U.S. bonds.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

In a district with the highest poverty rate in the city, residents are concerned about issues including illegal dumping, public safety, a dearth of grocery stores and a sense of being neglected by City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

I filled it with water and began picking up the dying fish from the mud puddles, putting them in the can, and dumping them in the creek.

From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez

Related Words

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