bumpy

adjective

ˈbəm-pē How to pronounce bumpy (audio)
bumpier; bumpiest
Synonyms of bumpynext
1
: having or covered with bumps
2
a
: marked by bumps or jolts
b
: marked by or full of difficulties
bumpily
ˈbəm-pə-lē How to pronounce bumpy (audio)
adverb
bumpiness
ˈbəm-pē-nəs How to pronounce bumpy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of bumpy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bumpy in a Sentence

The road is very bumpy. the bumpy skin of a cucumber The flight was very bumpy. The road was rough so we had a bumpy ride.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There’s a lot of panic right now about the bumpy intersection of artificial intelligence and art-making. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 The touring climate over the past two years has been bumpy, even for high-profile artists. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026 Under its skin, tattoos is a tale of growth, the bumpy path into adulthood, and relationships that come and go. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026 She was signed by Monument Records at 19, but the partnership was bumpy. — Deborah Wilker, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bumpy

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumpy was in 1769

Rhymes for bumpy

See All Rhymes for bumpy

Browse Nearby Words

bump up
bumpy
bumpy ash
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumpy. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bumpy

adjective
ˈbəm-pē How to pronounce bumpy (audio)
bumpier; bumpiest
: marked by bumps or bumping
a bumpy ride
bumpy skin
bumpily
-pə-lē How to pronounce bumpy (audio)
adverb
bumpiness
-pē-nəs How to pronounce bumpy (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All