bumpy

[ buhm-pee ]

adjective

, bump·i·er, bump·i·est.

1. of uneven surface; full of bumps:

   a bumpy road.

2. full of jolts:

   a bumpy ride.

3. causing jolts:

   Bumpy air shook the airplane.

4. having many difficulties or failures; full of ups and downs:

   He had a rather bumpy career before he settled down in his present job.

bumpy

/ ˈbʌmpɪ /

adjective

1. having an uneven surface

   a bumpy road

2. full of jolts; rough

   a bumpy flight

Derived Forms

• ˈbumpiness, noun
• ˈbumpily, adverb

Other Words From

• bumpi·ly adverb
• bumpi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumpy¹

First recorded in 1860–65; bump + -y ¹

Example Sentences

If his stint leading Twitter is any indication, the federal government could be in for a bumpy ride.

From Slate

“Learning maths is bumpy, but every time I solve the problems I feel quite happy,” she told the state-run People’s Daily.

From BBC

From no federal aid to the threat of a tariff war or retaliation, the entertainment industry could be in for a bumpy ride under the incoming Trump presidency.

From Los Angeles Times

Times like these test the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous words that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice” — even as modified by former President Obama, who added that “progress is bumpy. It always has been.”

From Los Angeles Times

So prepare for the opposite of smooth – bumpy, noisy and transactional – finding issues where they can do a deal with Trump, who reveres his capacity as a deal maker.

From BBC

Related Words

• choppy
• jarring
• jerky
• rugged
• rutted
• uneven