lump 1 of 3

noun

ˈləmp How to pronounce lump (audio)
Definition of lumpnext
1
as in chunk
a small uneven mass she dumped a lump of clay on the table and started to sculpt

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2
as in swelling
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue I got a good-sized lump on my head from that fall

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3
as in tumor
an abnormal mass of tissue advised by her doctor to examine her breasts regularly for unusual lumps

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4
as in defeat
failure to win a contest you can't win all the time, so learn to take your lumps in stride

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in idiot
a stupid person gazed disgustedly at the lump her daughter had married

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6
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person standing next to those ballet dancers, with their graceful way of moving, I felt like a lump

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lump

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to collect
to bring together in one body or place when we lumped all of our pocket change together, we found that we had just enough a buy a carton of ice cream

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2
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily while I was on crutches, I was lumping about the house like an elephant

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lump

3 of 3

adjective

as in total

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lump
Noun
Andermatt, meanwhile, sits within the Canton of Uri, where the top rate of income tax is among Switzerland’s lowest (qualifying international residents may also benefit from the country’s lump-sum taxation regime). — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026 If a new lump has no clear explanation or is still there after two weeks, make an appointment. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
My last book was about a beach town, so I got lumped in with the beach read group. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 As former chair of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, Villavicencio helped pass legislation to disaggregate public health data for diverse AAPI groups that were otherwise lumped into a few major categories. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Adjective
This means making sure you get paid for all your unused vacation time or PTO, and, if applicable, understanding the options for your company stock and pension (for example, single life, lump sum, or joint with survivor). — Nathan Bachrach and Amy Wagner, Cincinnati.com, 4 Feb. 2020 States under the total lump sum block-grant model would be required to keep health service spending at a level of at least 80% of the target. — Stephanie Armour, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2020 See All Example Sentences for lump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lump
  1. chunk
  2. swelling
  3. tumor
  4. defeat
  5. moron
  6. hulk
  7. collect
  8. shuffle
Noun
  • Chicago has been considered the candy capital of the world for a good chunk of its history.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In lieu of industry success, Hall spent large chunks of the past three decades living, performing, and otherwise working in obscurity in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and other parts of East Asia.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of chunk
Noun
  • New symptoms of calf swelling, tenderness or redness should raise concerns for possible deep vein thrombosis.
    — Ali Ataya, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease that primarily causes joint swelling, pain and stiffness, may also worsen or develop for the first time during menopause.
    — Cheyenne Buckingham, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of swelling
Noun
  • What was more, the data suggested that going after the therapy’s bull’s-eye might unlock the power of immunotherapy in other, more common cancers that had stubbornly rebuffed such efforts, like pancreatic and ovarian tumors.
    — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Among them, despite the doctors’ suspicions, 80% did not turn out to have evidence of tumors in their specimens, says Cercek.
    — Alice Park, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumor
Noun
  • Trump can’t let Iran turn a military defeat into a diplomatic victory.
    — , FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • After allocating about 8% of GDP to NEOM, once contract cancellations are included, the government has admitted a costly defeat.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeat
Noun
  • The fact that there is someone out there who could actually get all the real unsuspecting morons who participated in this movie to sign off on it afterwards is simply astonishing considering what they are asked to do in it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The unlikely source is Enervate’s company stooge corporate strategist, Ken Davies (Tim Key), a moron by any measure.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • Water levels on the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, have dropped so low because of drought that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships — and even the remains of an ancient woolly mammoth — are emerging into view.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the film, Russell wants a hulk of a man but doesn’t care about money, while Monroe transparently is looking for a man who can fuel her desire for diamonds.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
Definition of hulk
Verb
  • According to average high and low temperatures collected by AccuWeather, Boise residents can expect February to warm slightly.
    — Hali Smith October 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Reduce the personal information scammers can access Scammers can collect personal details from people-search websites and data brokers to make their messages more convincing.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of collect
Verb
  • It’s been more than a year since Ozzy Osbourne shuffled off this mortal coil.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Current traded away some assets while shuffling stars like Michelle Cooper, Temwa Chawinga and Lorena in and out of the lineup.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffle

Phrases Containing lump

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lummoxes
lump
lumped
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Cite this Entry

“Lump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lump. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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