lumpy

American  

[luhm-pee] / ˈlʌm pi /

adjective

lumpier, lumpiest

1. full of lumps.

   lumpy gravy.

2. covered with lumps, as a surface.

3. heavy or clumsy, as in movement or style; crude.

   a lumpy gait; a lumpy narrative.

4. (of water) rough or choppy.

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lumpy British  

/ ˈlʌmpɪ /

adjective

1. full of or having lumps

2. (esp of the sea) rough

3. (of a person) heavy or bulky

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Other Word Forms

• lumpily adverb
• lumpiness noun
• unlumpy adjective

Etymology

Origin of lumpy

First recorded in 1700–10; lump ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

Lumpy things are uneven and full of bumps or chunks. While lumpy oatmeal might be good, a lumpy mattress can make it impossible to get a good night's sleep. It's easier to play a game of croquet on a smooth lawn, rather than a lumpy field full of bumps and holes. And you may find a silky bowl of chocolate pudding delicious, but be disgusted by the texture of a lumpy serving of tapioca pudding. The adjective lumpy, by way of the noun lump, comes from the Old English lumpe, from a Scandinavian root.

Example Sentences

Under the shade of a nearby tree in Kakwanyang village, three women sit together pounding wild brown fruits with a hard, rough and lumpy exterior.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Aircraft orders are lumpy from month to month and the planes take a few years to build.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

Large contracts with utilities also tend “to be kind of lumpy in nature,” making it hard to predict quarter by quarter, Ashraf said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

“Mine was lumpy and sparkly,” said Jayna Zweiman, co-founder of the Pussyhat Project.

From Slate • Jan. 29, 2026

Beach towels are strewn across the lumpy seashore, striped umbrellas and plastic pails anchored beside them.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Related Words

• bumpy
• chunky
• irregular