lumpy

American  

[luhm-pee] / ˈlʌm pi /

adjective

lumpier, lumpiest

1. full of lumps: lump.

   lumpy gravy.

2. covered with lumps, lump, 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

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

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

From Slate • Jan. 29, 2026

One reason for going private is that Soho House won’t be bound by quarterly earnings reports, which can lead to lumpy results, say people familiar with the company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

At the same time, the universe is not too lumpy; it looks roughly the same in all directions, so all the matter did not wind up in one huge glob.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• bumpy
• chunky
• irregular