Hump vs. Bump — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 2, 2024
A hump is typically a large, rounded raise on a surface, often permanent and used to slow traffic, while a bump is a smaller, abrupt elevation or protrusion that can occur naturally or be caused by impact.
Difference Between Hump and Bump
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A hump is generally larger and more elongated, designed intentionally for specific purposes like controlling vehicle speed on roads. In contrast, a bump is usually a small, sharp rise in a surface, often resulting from an irregularity or impact.
Humps are often engineered features on roadways, known as speed humps, designed to reduce vehicular speed in residential areas to enhance safety. Meanwhile, bumps can be natural, like those caused by roots under a pathway, or accidental, such as a bump on the head from hitting a low ceiling.
The design of a hump is deliberate, with specifications to ensure it serves its purpose without causing damage to vehicles or discomfort to drivers, provided they adhere to speed limits. Bumps, however, can be unpredictable in size and shape and might be a nuisance or hazard in various scenarios.
Humps are integrated into the infrastructure with consideration for their impact on traffic flow and vehicle health. On the other hand, bumps are generally less predictable and can appear anywhere, from a carpet to a metal surface, often requiring repair or caution.
Despite their differences, both humps and bumps serve as physical indicators that prompt attention or caution, but their uses, appearances, and implications vary greatly.
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Comparison Chart
Size
Larger and elongated
Smaller and sharper
Purpose
To slow down traffic, intentional
Can be natural or accidental
Location
Roads, especially residential areas
Any surface, including skin or paths
Design
Engineered and deliberate
Irregular, often unintended
Impact
Slows vehicles, enhances safety
Can cause discomfort or damage
Compare with Definitions
Hump
A feature in landscape or design for controlling flow.
Architectural humps in the garden path prevent water from flowing too quickly.
Bump
A natural or accidental raised feature.
Tree roots under the trail have caused several bumps.
Hump
A rounded, raised part of a surface, especially on a road.
The new traffic hump has successfully slowed down speeding cars.
Bump
An abrupt swelling on the skin, often due to injury.
He got a bump on his head from the low doorway.
Hump
A large, permanent bump designed to control speed.
The town added several humps on Main Street as a safety measure.
Bump
A small, raised area on a surface.
Watch your step, there's a bump in the carpet.
Hump
A permanent rise that alters movement.
The camel's hump is an iconic part of its silhouette.
Bump
A quick rise in a surface that may cause tripping.
Be careful of the bumps on the old wooden floor.
Hump
An intentional elevation on road surfaces.
Each hump on the road reminds drivers to maintain low speeds.
Bump
A minor collision or impact causing a raised area.
The shopping cart left a bump on the side of the car.
Hump
A rounded mass or protuberance, such as the fleshy structure on the back of a camel or of some cattle.
Bump
To strike or collide with
Bumped the chair with a knee.
Hump
A deformity of the back in humans caused by an abnormal convex curvature of the upper spine.
Bump
To cause to knock against an obstacle
Bumped a knee against the chair.
Hump
A low mound of earth; a hummock.
Bump
To knock to a new position; shift
Bumped the crate out of the way.
Hump
A mountain range.
Bump
To shake up and down; jolt
Bumped the child on her knee.
Was bumped about on a rough flight.
Hump
Chiefly British A fit of depression; an emotional slump.
Bump
To displace from a position within a group or organization.
Hump
To bend or round into a hump; arch.
Bump
To deprive (a passenger) of reserved travel accommodations because of overbooking.
Hump
To exert (oneself).
Bump
To raise; boost
Bump up the price of gasoline.
Hump
To carry, especially on the back.
Bump
(Sports) To pass (a volleyball) by redirecting it with the forearms.
Hump
(Slang) To exert oneself.
Bump
To hit or knock against something
Boxes bumping against one another in a truck.
Hump
(Slang) To hurry.
Bump
To proceed with jerks and jolts
Bumped along slowly over the rocky terrain.
Hump
A mound of earth.
Bump
(Sports) To bump a volleyball.
Hump
A speed bump or speed hump.
Bump
A blow, collision, or jolt.
Hump
A deformity in humans caused by abnormal curvature of the upper spine.
Bump
The sound of something bumping
Heard a loud bump in the dark.
Hump
A rounded fleshy mass, such as on a camel or zebu.
Bump
A raised or rounded spot; a bulge.
Hump
A bad mood.
She's got the hump with me.
Go away! You're giving me the right hump.
Bump
A slight swelling or lump.
Hump
(slang) A painfully boorish person.
That guy is such a hump!
Bump
(Informal) See baby bump.
Hump
A wave that forms in front of an operating hovercraft and impedes progress at low speeds.
Bump
A rise or increase, as in prices or enrollment.
Hump
(transitive) To bend something into a hump.
Bump
(Sports) A pass in volleyball made by redirecting the ball with the inside of the forearms, especially when extended and held together.
Hump
To carry (something), especially with some exertion.
Bump
A small dose of an illegal drug, especially cocaine inhaled in powdered form.
Hump
To dry-hump.
Stop humping the table, you sicko.
Bump
A shot of hard liquor, sometimes accompanied by a beer chaser.
Hump
To prepare for a great exertion; to put forth effort.
Bump
A light blow or jolting collision.
Hump
To vex or annoy.
Bump
The sound of such a collision.
Hump
(rail) To shunt wagons / freight cars over the hump in a hump yard.
Bump
A protuberance on a level surface.
Hump
A protuberance; especially, the protuberance formed by a crooked back.
Bump
A swelling on the skin caused by illness or injury.
Hump
A fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal, as a camel or whale.
Bump
(obsolete) One of the protuberances on the cranium which, in phrenology, are associated with distinct faculties or affections of the mind. Also the faculty itself
The bump of veneration; the bump of acquisitiveness
Hump
A portion of a switchyard with a slanting track in which freight cars may coast without an engine and be sorted through a series of switches.
Bump
(rowing) The point, in a race in which boats are spaced apart at the start, at which a boat begins to overtake the boat ahead.
Hump
To form into a hump; to make hump-shaped; to hunch; - often with up.
The cattle were very uncomfortable, standing humped up in the bushes.
Bump
The swollen abdomen of a pregnant woman.
Hump
To put or carry on the (humped) back; to shoulder; hence, to carry, in general.
Having collected a sufficient quantity, we humped it out of the bush.
Bump
(Internet) A post in an Internet forum thread made in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.
Hump
To bend or gather together for strenuous effort, as in running; to do or effect by such effort; to exert; - usually reflexively or with it; as, you must hump yourself.
A half dozen other negroes, some limping and all scared, were humping it across a meadow.
Bump
A temporary increase in a quantity, as shown in a graph.
US presidential nominees get a post-convention bump in survey ratings.
Hump
To sort freight cars by means of a hump.
Bump
(slang) A dose of a drug such as ketamine or cocaine, when snorted recreationally.
Hump
Arch one's back
Bump
In skipping, a single jump over two consecutive turns of the rope.
Bump
(uncountable) A coarse cotton fabric.
Bump
A training match for a fighting dog.
Bump
The jaw of either of the middle pockets.
Bump
Music, especially played over speakers at loud volume with strong bass frequency response.
Bump
(industrial relations) A reassignment of jobs within an organization (for example, when an existing employee leaves) on the basis of seniority.
Bump
The breeding call made by the bittern; a boom.
Bump
To knock against or run into with a jolt.
Bump
To move up or down by a step; displace.
I bumped the font size up to make my document easier to read.
Bump
(Internet) To post in an Internet forum thread in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.
Bump
To suddenly boil, causing movement of the vessel and loss of liquid.
Bump
(transitive) To move (a booked passenger) to a later flight because of earlier delays or cancellations.
Bump
(transitive) To move the time of (a scheduled event).
Bump
(transitive) To pick (a lock) with a repeated striking motion that dislodges the pins.
Bump
To make a loud, heavy, or hollow noise; to boom.
Bump
To spread out material so as to fill any desired number of pages.
Bump
To assassinate; to bump off.
Bump
To displace (another employee in an organization) on the basis of seniority.
Bump
To anger, irritate.
Bump
Of a bittern, to make its characteristic breeding call.
Bump
(internet) Posted in an Internet forum thread in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.
Bump
To strike, as with or against anything large or solid; to thump; as, to bump the head against a wall.
Bump
To come in violent contact with something; to thump.
Bump
To make a loud, heavy, or hollow noise, as the bittern; to boom.
As a bittern bumps within a reed.
Bump
A thump; a heavy blow.
Bump
A swelling or prominence, resulting from a bump or blow; a protuberance.
It had upon its browA bump as big as a young cockerel's stone.
Bump
One of the protuberances on the cranium which are associated with distinct faculties or affections of the mind; as, the bump of "veneration;" the bump of "acquisitiveness."
Bump
The act of striking the stern of the boat in advance with the prow of the boat following.
Bump
The noise made by the bittern.
Bump
A lump on the body caused by a blow
Bump
Something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from a form
Bump
An impact (as from a collision);
The bump threw him off the bicycle
Bump
Knock against with force or violence;
My car bumped into the tree
Bump
Come upon, as if by accident; meet with;
We find this idea in Plato
I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here
She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day
Bump
Assign to a lower position; reduce in rank;
She was demoted because she always speaks up
He was broken down to Sargeant
Bump
Remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied;
The new employee dislodged her by moving into her office space
Common Curiosities
What is the primary function of a hump?
To slow down traffic and enhance safety on roads.
Can bumps be harmful?
Yes, bumps can be hazardous, causing trips, falls, or vehicle damage.
Where are bumps most commonly found?
Bumps can appear on any surface, from roads to human skin.
Do bumps have any beneficial uses?
Rarely, as they are usually irregularities needing correction, except in certain design contexts where texture is desired.
What materials are humps made from?
Typically asphalt or concrete, matching the road material.
How should drivers react to a hump versus a bump?
Slow down for humps to avoid vehicle damage, and navigate bumps cautiously to prevent accidents.
Are humps safer than bumps?
Yes, humps are designed for safety, while bumps are often hazards.
Are humps found only on roads?
Primarily, though they can also be used in pathways or large premises for traffic control.
Can you temporarily install a hump?
Yes, temporary humps can be installed for events or construction zones.
How does the size of a hump compare to a bump?
Humps are larger and spread over a wider area than bumps.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
