bump up

verb

To increase something suddenly.

“It bumps up on the wall here.”

Opposite

Meanings

verbbump up (third-person singular simple present bumps up, present participle bumping up, simple past and past participle bumped up)

present singular third person bumps up · participle present bumping up · participle past bumped up · past bumped up

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo increase something suddenly.
  2. idiomatictransitiveTo promote a person to a higher grade.
  3. idiomatictransitiveTo give a more prominent place to; to advance position in queue.
  4. idiomaticintransitiveTo bump into something; to collide with something.

    It bumps up on the wall here.

  5. idiomaticintransitiveTo figuratively collide with something; to come into conflict over something.

    The program is bumping up on its fiscal cap.

    1 more example

    The legalization movement bumped up against political realities.

  6. transitivebroadcastingTo transfer (recorded footage) from a narrower to a wider tape format.

    Antonyms: bump down

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo transfer (recorded footage) from a narrower to a wider tape format.

Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

verbincrease or raise

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

French faire un bond, promouvoir
  • faire un bondto increase something suddenly
  • promouvoirto promote a person to a higher grade
  • avancerto give a more prominent place to
Polish podbijać, podbić
  • podbijaćto increase something suddenly
  • podbićto increase something suddenly
  • zwiększaćto increase something suddenly
  • zwiększyćto increase something suddenly
  • podnosićto increase something suddenly
  • podnieśćto increase something suddenly
  • awansowaćto promote a person to a higher grade
  • podwyższaćto give a more prominent place to
  • podwyższyćto give a more prominent place to
Russian увели́чивать, повыша́ть
  • увели́чивать (uvelíčivatʹ)to increase something suddenly
  • повыша́ть (povyšátʹ)to increase something suddenly
  • повыша́ть (povyšátʹ)to promote a person to a higher grade
Cite this entry
APA

bump up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bump%20up

MLA

“bump up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bump%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bump up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bump%20up.

Source: bump up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.