slump

[ sluhmp ]

verb (used without object)

1. to drop or fall heavily; collapse:

   Suddenly she slumped to the floor.

2. to assume a slouching, bowed, or bent position or posture:

   Stand up straight and don't slump!

3. to decrease or fall suddenly and markedly, as prices or the market.
4. to decline or deteriorate, as health, business, quality, or efficiency.
5. to sink into a bog, muddy place, etc., or through ice or snow.
6. to sink heavily, as the spirits.

noun

1. an act or instance of slumping.
2. a decrease, decline, or deterioration.

   Synonyms: setback, reverse, lapse

3. a period of decline or deterioration.
4. any mild recession in the economy as a whole or in a particular industry.
5. a period during which a person performs slowly, inefficiently, or ineffectively, especially a period during which an athlete or team fails to play or score as well as usual.
6. a slouching, bowed, or bent position or posture, especially of the shoulders.
7. a landslide or rockslide.
8. the vertical subsidence of freshly mixed concrete that is a measure of consistency and stiffness.
9. New England Cooking. a dessert made with cooked fruit, especially apples or berries, topped with a thick layer of biscuit dough or crumbs.

Slump

¹

/ slʌmp /

noun

1. the Slump
   another name for the Depression

slump

²

/ slʌmp /

verb

1. to sink or fall heavily and suddenly
2. to relax ungracefully
3. (of business activity, etc) to decline suddenly; collapse
4. (of health, interest, etc) to deteriorate or decline suddenly or markedly
5. (of soil or rock) to slip down a slope, esp a cliff, usually with a rotational movement

noun

1. a sudden or marked decline or failure, as in progress or achievement; collapse
2. a decline in commercial activity, prices, etc
3. economics another word for depression
4. the act of slumping
5. a slipping of earth or rock; landslide

Other Words From

• un·slumped adjective
• un·slumping adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of slump¹

1670–80; originally, to sink into a bog or mud; perhaps imitative ( plump ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of slump¹

C17: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Low German slump bog, Norwegian slumpa to fall

Example Sentences

She took office amid a post-pandemic crime wave and economic slump that she has said made her first two years difficult.

From Los Angeles Times

It shows him slumped over the desk and with his head in his hands - a stance he also adopted during recent court proceedings.

From BBC

Instead, this will become more of an issue unless they pull out of this slump.

From BBC

A property slump, rising government debt and unemployment, and low consumption have slowed down Chinese growth since the pandemic.

From BBC

And for voters, the bickering has become unbearable, meaning that poll numbers for all three parties have slumped.

From BBC

Related Words

• collapse
• deteriorate
• droop
• drop
• fall
• fall off
• go down
• hunch
• plummet
• plunge
• sag
• slide
• slip
• slouch
• tumble