lumpy

[ luhm-pee ]

adjective

, lump·i·er, lump·i·est.

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.

lumpy

/ ˈlʌmpɪ /

adjective

1. full of or having lumps
2. (esp of the sea) rough
3. (of a person) heavy or bulky

Derived Forms

• ˈlumpiness, noun
• ˈlumpily, adverb

Other Words From

• lumpi·ly adverb
• lumpi·ness noun
• un·lumpy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lumpy¹

First recorded in 1700–10; lump ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Their lumpy shapes feel not like imperfections but visual reminders of the handcrafted nature of their creation, proof that they’ve been lovingly sculpted with the beauty of truth, not the tyranny of realism.

From Los Angeles Times

Ideally, lumpy textures should be introduced as early as possible so the child can learn to use their tongue and jaw to manipulate and swallow food, a process that requires 30 different muscles to work together, said Susan Greenberg, a speech pathologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

“If you prolong purees and don’t introduce lumpy foods by 10 months, we have evidence that by 15 months and even 7 years, it influences food acceptance,” Greenberg said.

From Los Angeles Times

But while outfitting an unusually tiny tomato with a pair of googly eyes isn't likely to radically change historically entrenched consumer habits, nor will naming a lumpy carrot "Alex" tilt America's emissions trajectory with food waste, campaigns like these could spark small changes in how consumers consider what to buy and eat.

From Salon

A striking pair of sunglasses recontextualizes your entire face, hiding your eyes and wrapping you in a sense of mystery that otherwise wouldn’t be there on your same old lumpy visage.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bumpy
• chunky
• irregular