Jump Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 5, 2024
Jump means to push oneself off a surface and into the air by using the muscles in one's legs and feet. e.g., The cat can jump very high when chasing toys.
Table of Contents
Jump Definitions
To start suddenly.
The car won't jump start without cables.
Go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions
To spring into the air with force from the legs.
He can jump over the fence easily.
To react quickly or hastily.
He jumped at the opportunity.
To skip or bypass sections.
The story jumps from past to present.
An act of leaping into the air.
The athlete made a long jump.
To attack suddenly.
The thief jumped the unsuspecting pedestrian.
To cause to leap.
The rider jumped the horse over the hurdles.
To leave a surface by leaping.
The frog jumped into the pond.
To propel oneself upward or over a distance in single quick motion or series of such motions.
To move suddenly and in one motion
Jumped out of bed.
To move involuntarily, as in surprise
Jumped when the phone rang.
To parachute from an aircraft.
(Informal) To act quickly; hustle
Jump when I give you an order.
To take prompt advantage; respond quickly
Jump at a bargain.
To enter eagerly into an activity; plunge
Jumped into the race for the nomination.
To begin or start. Often used with off
The project jumped off with great enthusiasm.
To form an opinion or judgment hastily
Jump to conclusions.
To make a sudden verbal attack; lash out
Jumped at me for being late.
To undergo a sudden and pronounced increase
Prices jumped in October.
To rise suddenly in position or rank
Jumped over two others with more seniority.
To change discontinuously or after a short period
Jumps from one subject to another.
Jumped from one job to another.
To be displaced by a sudden jerk
The phonograph needle jumped.
To be displaced vertically or laterally because of improper alignment
The film jumped during projection.
(Computers) To move from one set of instructions in a program to another out of sequence.
To move over an opponent's playing piece in a board game.
To make a jump bid in bridge.
(Slang) To be lively; bustle
A disco that really jumps.
To leap over or across
Jump a fence.
To leap onto
Jump a bus.
(Slang) To spring upon in sudden attack; assault or ambush
Muggers jumped him in the park.
To move or start prematurely before
Jumped the starting signal.
To cause to leap
Jump a horse over a fence.
To cause to increase suddenly
Shortages that jumped milk prices by several cents.
To pass over; skip
The typewriter jumped a space.
To raise in rank or position; promote.
To move a piece over (an opponent's piece) in a board game, often thereby capturing the opponent's piece.
To raise (a partner's bid) in bridge by more than is necessary.
To jump-start (a motor vehicle).
To leave (a course), especially through mishap
The train jumped the rails.
To leave hastily; skip
Jumped town a step ahead of the police.
To leave (an organization, for example) suddenly or in violation of an agreement
Jumped the team and signed with a rival club.
To seize or occupy illegally
Jump a mining claim.
The act of jumping; a leap.
The distance covered by a jump
A jump of seven feet.
An obstacle or span to be jumped.
A structure or course from which a jump is made
Built a jump out of snow.
A descent from an aircraft by parachute.
(Sports) Any of several track-and-field events in which contestants jump.
An initial competitive advantage; a head start
Got the jump on the other newspapers.
Energy or quickness
"We got off to a slow start. We didn't have any jump, and when we did get things going, we were too far behind" (John LeClair).
A sudden pronounced rise, as in price or salary.
An impressive promotion.
A step or level
Managed to stay a jump ahead.
A sudden or major transition, as from one career or subject to another.
A short trip.
One in a series of moves and stopovers, as with a circus or road show.
(Games) A move in a board game over an opponent's piece.
(Computers) A movement from one set of instructions to another.
An involuntary nervous movement; a start.
Jumps A condition of nervousness. Often used with the.
A jump-start of a motor vehicle.
(intransitive) To propel oneself rapidly upward, downward and/or in any horizontal direction such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.
The boy jumped over a fence.
Kangaroos are known for their ability to jump high.
(intransitive) To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.
She is going to jump from the diving board.
(transitive) To pass by a spring or leap; to overleap.
To jump a stream
(intransitive) To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.
(intransitive) To react to a sudden, often unexpected, stimulus (such as a sharp prick or a loud sound) by jerking the body violently.
The sudden sharp sound made me jump.
To increase sharply, to rise, to shoot up.
Share prices jumped by 10% after the company announced record profits.
(intransitive) To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.
The player's knight jumped the opponent's bishop.
(transitive) To move to a position (in a queue/line) that is further forward.
I hate it when people jump the queue.
(transitive) To attack suddenly and violently.
The hoodlum jumped a woman in the alley.
(transitive) To cause to jump.
The rider jumped the horse over the fence.
(transitive) To move the distance between two opposing subjects.
(transitive) To increase the height of a tower crane by inserting a section at the base of the tower and jacking up everything above it.
To increase speed aggressively and without warning.
To expose to danger; to risk; to hazard.
To join by a buttweld.
To thicken or enlarge by endwise blows; to upset.
(quarrying) To bore with a jumper.
To jump-start a car or other vehicle with a dead battery, as with jumper cables.
(obsolete) To coincide; to agree; to accord; to tally; followed by with.
To start executing code from a different location, rather than following the program counter.
To flee; to make one's escape.
The act of jumping; a leap; a spring; a bound.
An effort; an attempt; a venture.
(mining) A dislocation in a stratum; a fault.
(architecture) An abrupt interruption of level in a piece of brickwork or masonry.
An instance of propelling oneself upwards.
The boy took a skip and a jump down the lane.
An object which causes one to jump; a ramp.
The skier flew off the jump and landed perfectly.
An instance of causing oneself to fall from an elevated location.
There were a couple of jumps from the bridge.
An instance of employing a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.
She was terrified before the jump, but was thrilled to be skydiving.
An instance of reacting to a sudden stimulus by jerking the body.
A jumping move in a board game.
The knight's jump in chess
A button (of a joypad, joystick or similar device) used to make a video game character jump (propel itself upwards).
Press jump to start.
An obstacle that forms part of a showjumping course, and that the horse has to jump over cleanly.
Heartless managed the scale the first jump but fell over the second.
(with on) An early start or an advantage.
He got a jump on the day because he had laid out everything the night before.
Their research department gave them the jump on the competition.
(mathematics) A discontinuity in the graph of a function, where the function is continuous in a punctured interval of the discontinuity.
An abrupt increase in the height of the surface of a flowing liquid at the location where the flow transitions from supercritical to subcritical, involving an abrupt reduction in flow speed and increase in turbulence.
(science fiction) An instance of faster-than-light travel, not observable from ordinary space.
(programming) A change of the path of execution to a different location.
(film) jump cut
(theatre) one-night stand
A kind of loose jacket for men.
(obsolete) Exactly; precisely
(obsolete) Exact; matched; fitting; precise.
A kind of loose jacket for men.
The act of jumping; a leap; a spring; a bound.
An effort; an attempt; a venture.
Our fortune liesUpon thisjump.
The space traversed by a leap.
A dislocation in a stratum; a fault.
An abrupt interruption of level in a piece of brickwork or masonry.
A jump-start; as, to get a jump from a passing mmotorist.
To spring free from the ground by the muscular action of the feet and legs; to project one's self through the air; to spring; to bound; to leap.
Not the worst of the three but jumps twelve foot and a half by the square.
To move as if by jumping; to bounce; to jolt.
A flock of geese jump down together.
To coincide; to agree; to accord; to tally; - followed by with.
To pass over by means of a spring or leap; to overleap; as, to jump a stream.
To cause to jump; as, he jumped his horse across the ditch.
To expose to danger; to risk; to hazard.
To jump a body with a dangerous physic.
To join by a butt weld.
To bore with a jumper.
Nice; exact; matched; fitting; precise.
Exactly; pat.
A sudden and decisive increase;
A jump in attendance
An abrupt transition;
A successful leap from college to the major leagues
(film) an abrupt transition from one scene to another
A sudden involuntary movement;
He awoke with a start
Descent with a parachute;
He had done a lot of parachuting in the army
The act of jumping; propelling yourself off the ground;
He advanced in a series of jumps
The jumping was unexpected
Move forward by leaps and bounds;
The horse bounded across the meadow
The child leapt across the puddle
Can you jump over the fence?
Move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm;
She startled when I walked into the room
Make a sudden physical attack on;
The muggers jumped the woman in the fur coat
Increase suddenly and significantly;
Prices jumped overnight
Be highly noticeable
Enter eagerly into;
He jumped into the game
Rise in rank or status;
Her new novel jumped high on the bestseller list
Run off or leave the rails;
The train derailed because a cow was standing on the tracks
Jump from an airplane and descend with a parachute
Cause to jump or leap;
The trainer jumped the tiger through the hoop
Start a car engine whose battery by connecting it to another car's battery
Bypass;
He skipped a row in the text and so the sentence was incomprehensible
Pass abruptly from one state or topic to another;
Leap into fame
Jump to a conclusion
A sudden increase or rise.
There was a jump in prices overnight.
To move suddenly or quickly.
She jumped when she heard the loud noise.
Jump Snonyms
Hop
Move by jumping on one foot.
She hopped on her right foot after stubbing her toe.
Leap
Jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force.
The cat leaped over the fence effortlessly.
Vault
Jump over (an obstacle) while supporting or propelling oneself with one or both hands or with the help of a pole.
The athlete vaulted the bar with ease during the pole vault event.
Spring
Move or jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward.
He sprang from his chair when he heard the news.
Skip
Move along lightly, stepping from one foot to the other with a hop or bounce.
The children skipped down the sidewalk.
Dart
Move or run somewhere suddenly or rapidly.
The mouse darted into a hole to escape the cat.
Bound
Walk or run with leaping strides.
The dog bounded across the field.
Lunge
Make a lunge or sudden forward movement.
The fencer lunged at her opponent.
Hurdle
Move or jump over (an obstacle) quickly.
He hurdled the fence to catch the runaway dog.
Bounce
Move quickly up, back, or away from a surface after hitting it.
The ball bounced off the wall.
Jump Idioms & Phrases
Jump the gun
To act prematurely or to do something before the appropriate time.
By announcing his candidacy before getting party approval, he definitely jumped the gun.
Jump over shadows
To be overly cautious or to react to problems that have not yet occurred.
You're jumping over shadows by worrying about the project's failure before we even start.
Jump at the chance
To eagerly seize an opportunity.
She jumped at the chance to study abroad, knowing it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Jump through hoops
To go through a lot of difficult tasks or to overcome many obstacles.
He had to jump through hoops to get his visa approved on time.
Jump-start the day
To begin the day with vigorous activity or action to stimulate energy and enthusiasm.
She likes to jump-start her day with a brisk morning jog.
Jump on the bandwagon
To join others in doing something that has become fashionable or popular.
After seeing the success of the technology, many companies jumped on the bandwagon.
Jump out of one's skin
To be extremely startled or surprised.
I jumped out of my skin when the alarm went off unexpectedly.
Jump ship
To leave a job or organization suddenly, often to go to another that is more advantageous.
After the scandal, several employees decided to jump ship.
Jump the track
To deviate suddenly from one course of action or thought to another.
The meeting jumped the track when an unrelated issue was brought up, derailing the agenda.
Jump to conclusions
To make a decision or form an opinion too quickly without sufficient evidence.
He often jumps to conclusions before hearing the whole story, leading to misunderstandings.
Jump into the fray
To become involved in a competitive or challenging situation.
She decided to jump into the fray and run for office.
Jump at one's shadow
To be easily frightened or overly cautious.
Since the break-in, he's been jumping at his shadow, nervous at every little sound.
Jump off the page
To be very noticeable or striking.
Her talent really jumps off the page, even in a crowd of skilled artists.
Jump back on the wagon
To resume a commitment, especially after a failure or lapse.
After a week of breaking his diet, he's ready to jump back on the wagon.
Jump the shark
To pass the point where something begins to decline in quality or appeal, especially in an attempt to stay relevant.
Many fans believe the TV series jumped the shark with its bizarre fourth season storyline.
Jump one’s bail
To fail to appear for a court appearance after being released on bail.
The suspect jumped his bail and has been on the run since.
Jump to one's feet
To stand up quickly or suddenly.
The audience jumped to their feet to give a standing ovation after the performance.
Jump the queue
To unfairly go ahead of others who are waiting in line.
It's rude to jump the queue, even if you're in a hurry.
Jump for joy
To show extreme happiness or elation.
They jumped for joy when they heard the good news.
Jump in with both feet
To become involved in a situation or activity with all one's enthusiasm and energy.
He's hesitant to jump in with both feet until he knows more about the project.
Jump Example Sentences
The horse refused to jump over the last barrier.
The sudden sound made him jump out of his seat.
Let's jump to chapter three in the textbook.
She didn't hesitate to jump into the cold lake.
The dog loves to jump up and greet people.
She practiced her high jump technique for the competition.
They watched the dolphin jump out of the water.
The player managed to jump over the obstacle.
The athlete's jump broke the school record.
The children love to jump on the trampoline.
You have to jump higher to reach the ball.
The audience gasped as the stuntman made the dangerous jump.
The rabbit can jump long distances to escape predators.
The news made her heart jump with joy.
The movie plot jumps back and forth in time.
Common Curiosities
How many syllables are in jump?
There is one syllable in "jump."
How do we divide jump into syllables?
Since "jump" has only one syllable, it is not divided.
What is the verb form of jump?
"Jump" itself is the verb form.
What is the root word of jump?
The root word of "jump" is the Middle English "jumpen" or "gumpen."
What is the first form of jump?
The first form (present tense) of "jump" is "jump."
Why is it called jump?
"Jump" likely originates from the Middle English word "jumpen" or "gumpen," meaning to leap or spring off the ground.
What is a stressed syllable in jump?
The entire word "jump" is stressed as it is a single syllable.
What part of speech is jump?
"Jump" is a verb. It can also be a noun describing the act of jumping.
How is jump used in a sentence?
Example: "The cat can jump over the fence easily."
What is the second form of jump?
The second form (simple past tense) of "jump" is "jumped."
Is jump an abstract noun?
When "jump" is used as a noun, it usually refers to a physical action and is not considered abstract.
What is the pronunciation of jump?
Jump is pronounced as /ʤʌmp/.
Is jump an adverb?
No, "jump" is not an adverb.
Is the jump term a metaphor?
"Jump" can be used metaphorically, such as in "jump to conclusions."
Is jump a noun or adjective?
"Jump" is primarily a verb and a noun. It is not an adjective.
Is the word “jump” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Jump" can be the action done to a direct object in some contexts, especially when "jump" is used as a verb.
Which determiner is used with jump?
Determiners like "the," "a," or "every" can be used with "jump" when it functions as a noun.
Which vowel is used before jump?
The use of a vowel before "jump" depends on the preceding word in a sentence.
What is the singular form of jump?
As a verb, "jump" remains the same in singular form. As a noun, the singular form is "jump."
Is jump a negative or positive word?
"Jump" is neutral; its connotation depends on the context.
Is jump a vowel or consonant?
The word "jump" starts with a consonant.
Is jump a countable noun?
Yes, when "jump" is used as a noun, it is countable.
Is the word jump imperative?
Yes, "jump" can be used in the imperative mood, as in commands or requests.
What is the third form of jump?
The third form (past participle) of "jump" is "jumped."
What is another term for jump?
Another term for "jump" is "leap."
What is the plural form of jump?
The plural form of "jump" as a noun is "jumps."
What is the opposite of jump?
The opposite of "jump" could be "stay" or "sit."
Is the word jump Gerund?
The gerund form of "jump" is "jumping."
Which preposition is used with jump?
Common prepositions used with "jump" include "over," "into," and "on."
Which conjunction is used with jump?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or" can be used in sentences involving "jump."
Which article is used with jump?
Articles such as "the," "a," or "an" can be used with "jump" when it is used as a noun.
Is jump a collective noun?
"Jump" is not typically used as a collective noun.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
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.
