jump

[ juhmp ]

/ dʒʌmp /

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See synonyms for: jump / jumped / jumper / jumping on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

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).

verb (used with object)

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.

noun

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).

adjective

Jazz.

of, relating to, or characteristic of swing.
of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz; played at a bright tempo.

adverb

Obsolete. exactly; precisely.

Verb Phrases

jump on, to blame or rebuke; reprimand: He'll jump on anyone who contradicts him.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

First recorded in 1505–15; compare Danish gumpe “to jolt,” gimpe “to move up and down,” Swedish gumpa, Low German gumpen “to jump”

synonym study for jump

1. Jump, leap, vault imply propelling oneself by a muscular effort, either into the air or from one position or place to another. Jump and leap are often used interchangeably, but jump indicates more particularly the springing movement of the feet in leaving the ground or support: to jump up and down. Leap (which formerly also meant to run) indicates the passage, by a springing movement of the legs, from one point or position to another: to leap across a brook. Vault implies leaping, especially with the aid of the hands or some instrument, over or upon something: to vault ( over ) a fence.

OTHER WORDS FROM jump

jump·a·ble, adjectivejump·ing·ly, adverboutjump, verb (used with object)un·jump·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH jump

hop, jump , skip

Words nearby jump

jumbo, jumboize, jumbo jet, jumbuck, Jumna, jump, jump all over someone, jump at, jump bail, jump ball, jump bid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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-Science
Days later, France recorded a jump of 10,000 new cases in one day.
The new Covid-19 case surge in Europe, explained|Julia Belluz|September 17, 2020|Vox
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-Science
TikTok’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.
TikTok’s enormous value isn’t just in its algorithm|Adam Epstein|September 15, 2020|Quartz

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|DAILY BEAST
In 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|DAILY BEAST
Why 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|DAILY BEAST
Would 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|DAILY BEAST
Her new friends jump to her defense and loudly tell the clerk to back off.
‘Girlhood’: Coming of Age in France’s Projects|Molly Hannon|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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 Fanu
We 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 Wills
And 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 Barnum
It'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 Wills
And 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

jump

/ (dʒʌmp) /

verb

(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 obstacleto 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 onhe jumped the train as it was leaving

(intr) to parachute from an aircraft

(intr) to jerk or start, as with astonishment, surprise, etcshe 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 livelythe party was jumping when I arrived

(tr) informal to attack without warningthieves 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

noun

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 jumpthe high jump

a sudden risethe 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 degreeone 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

See also jump at, jump-off, jump on, jump-up

Derived forms of jump

jumpable, adjectivejumpingly, adverb

Word Origin for jump

C16: probably of imitative origin; compare Swedish gumpa to jump

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

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

jump

Idioms about jump

Origin of jump

synonym study for jump

OTHER WORDS FROM jump

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH jump

Words nearby jump

Words related to jump

How to use jump in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jump

Derived forms of jump

Word Origin for jump

Other Idioms and Phrases with jump