hump

American  

[huhmp] / hʌmp /

noun

• humps
  plural

1. a rounded protuberance, especially a fleshy protuberance on the back, as that due to abnormal curvature of the spine in humans, or that normally present in certain animals, as the camel or bison.

2. Physical Geography.

   1. a low, rounded rise of ground; hummock.

   2. a mountain or mountain range.

3. Railroads. (in a switchyard) a raised area down which cars pushed to its crest roll by gravity and momentum for automatic sorting through a series of preset switches.

4. Slang: Vulgar.

   1. an act or instance of sexual intercourse.

   2. a partner in sexual intercourse.

5. the hump,

   1. British Slang. a fit of depression or bad humor.

      to get the hump.

   2. (initial capital letter) (in World War II) the Himalayas.

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verb (used with object)

• humps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• humped,
  past participle,  past
• humping
  present participle

1. to raise (the back) in a hump; hunch.

   The cat humped its back.

2. Railroads. to sort (cars) by means of a hump.

3. Informal. to exert (oneself ) in a great effort.

4. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

5. Slang.

   1. to place or bear on the back or shoulder.

   2. to carry or haul.

   3. to load or unload; lift.

verb (used without object)

• humps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• humped,
  past participle,  past
• humping
  present participle

1. to rise in a hump.

2. Informal. to exert oneself; hustle or hurry.

3. Slang: Vulgar. to engage in sexual intercourse.

idioms

1. over the hump, past the most difficult, time-consuming, or dangerous part or period.

   The doctor says she's over the hump now and should improve steadily.

hump British  

/ hʌmp /

noun

1. a rounded protuberance or projection, as of earth, sand, etc

2. pathol a rounded deformity of the back in persons with kyphosis, consisting of a convex spinal curvature

3. a rounded protuberance on the back of a camel or related animal

4. informal a fit of depression or sulking (esp in the phrase it gives me the hump )

5. past the largest or most difficult portion of work, time, etc

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verb

1. to form or become a hump; hunch; arch

2. slang (tr) to carry or heave

3. slang to have sexual intercourse with (someone)

4. informal (of a tramp) to carry one's belongings from place to place on one's back

hump More Idioms  

1. see over the hump.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• humper
  noun
• humpless
  adjective
• humplike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• humps
  plural

Participles

• humping
  present
• humped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hump
  simple
• humps
  simple
• have humped
  perfect
• has humped
  perfect
• am humping
  progressive
• are humping
  progressive
• is humping
  progressive
• have been humping
  perfect progressive
• has been humping
  perfect progressive

Past

• humped
  simple
• had humped
  perfect
• was humping
  progressive
• were humping
  progressive
• had been humping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hump
  simple
• will have humped
  perfect
• will be humping
  progressive
• will have been humping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hump

First recorded in 1700–10; probably abstracted from humpbacked; akin to Frisian hompe “lump, chunk,” Dutch homp “lump, chunk,” Middle Low German hump “bump,” Norwegian dialect hupp, hump “flank (of an animal),” or Low German humpel, hümpel “height, knob, hump (of a camel)”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hump humps humped humping

Braun told me that managed security service providers offer a two-way benefit: it helps his project get over the scalability hump by pooling resources, while the small utilities benefit from a shared information environment.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

One of the crocodile's most unusual features was a prominent hump located in the middle of its snout.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 13, 2026

Darnold got over the hump by passing for three touchdowns in a 31-27 victory over the Rams in the NFC championship game at Lumen Field in Seattle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

"I know there are some PRs whose default it is to lean into humour to bridge the scandal and get over the hump."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2025

She had a large pack that sat like a hump on her back.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

These include building a bridge, improving signs, and putting in road humps and a chicane to slow down traffic.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2024

Shortly after, city officials expedited the hiring of crossing guards, started a program to add speed humps near 70 schools, and reduced speeds around 250 schools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2024

The eyes dart back and forth across the desert landscape, detecting rocks, dips and humps, variations in sand color flashing into view like a real-life scene from “Mad Max.”

From Washington Times ● Dec. 14, 2023

There is a simplicity to the British Open, no matter how fickle the weather or the humps and bumps along the fairways.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2023

Jonesy is watching me as the bus slows down and humps over a speed bump.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

She “scrabbled, thrutched, clawed, and humped her way up the volume, then threw out right to a bowling-ball sloper, cut her feet, pendulumed out beneath it, and matched it,” writes Mr. Tallent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

It was in a humped position while walking and seemed unable to move, indicating severe abdominal pain, officers said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2023

For four months, state and federal officials have sanctioned a hunt of the shaggy, humped animals that delight millions of tourists and are a centerpiece of Native American culture and history.

From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2023

With its humped shoulders, vast girth and constitutional reluctance to back away from a fight, the species was seen as a threat to both humans and to livestock.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2021

Only later did domesticates derived from indigenous species of the Indian subcontinent, such as humped cattle and sesame, appear in Indus Valley farming communities.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Training a dog to stop humping may be difficult, as it is often a compulsive behavior.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2019

Give Logan Paul a camera and put him in an elevator and he will probably start humping the handrail, or pressing every single button, or something even more stupid.

From Slate ● Apr. 9, 2018

“Every person I know is humping it, and he or she gained that ethic from growing up in the inner city,” he writes persuasively.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 6, 2015

Mr. Hetherington broke his leg on a mission and had to walk four hours down a mountain on it, humping his gear, to get back to camp.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2011

On January 1, Orde-Lees was skiing near the edge of the floe when a twelve-foot-long, fanged leopard seal lunged up out of the water and began humping toward him at astonishing speed.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong