lumpy

adjective \ ˈləm-pē \

Updated on: 21 Nov 2017

Definition of lumpy

lumpier; lumpiest

1 a : filled or covered with lumps

b : characterized by choppy waves

2 : having a heavy clumsy appearance

3 : uneven and often crude in style

—

lumpily

play \ˈləm-pə-lē\ adverb

—

lumpiness

play \ˈləm-pē-nəs\ noun

See lumpy defined for English-language learners

See lumpy defined for kids

Examples of lumpy in a Sentence

the lumpy mashed potatoes were cold as well
before painting, we had to sand the lumpy surface to make it smooth

Recent Examples of lumpy from the Web

The elastic cuffs coupled with the Christmas-y color scheme makes these more like a pair of pajama pants, complete with a PJ-like unflattering and lumpy fit.

— liza corsillo, GQ, "Future Found the Secret to Wearing Plaid Pants," 24 Oct. 2017
Although the exposition can seem lumpy at times, the play here convinces as both realism and allegory.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "'Gem of the Ocean' at South Coast Rep: August Wilson provides ritual healing in a devastating revival," 24 Oct. 2017
This traditional Jewish egg loaf is knobby, lumpy and so ugly it’s beautiful.

— andy staples, SI.com, "The Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for Teams at the Center of Week 1's Biggest Plot Twists," 4 Sep. 2017
Only this particular monster happened to be edible, a delicacy even, and exorbitantly priced: sea cucumbers sell for around $16 per pound for the pink muscle, and $22 per pound for the lumpy skin.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Is the Mysterious Sea Cucumber Slipping Out of Our Grasp?," 4 Nov. 2017
Owners will learn quickly to leave plenty of chin room when parking and always to take a wide angle at driveways or crossing lumpy intersections.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2017 Cadillac ATS-V: Under-the-radar speedster," 22 Sep. 2017
Idling engines died, but the station wagons’ headlights stayed on, casting long, lumpy shadows.

— nisi shawl, Slate Magazine, "“Slippernet”," 22 Feb. 2017
And companies should outsource work when the need for staff is lumpy, such as for software companies that may need dozens of quality-assurance testers ahead of a major release but not once the product is out.

— neil irwin, New York Times, "To Understand Rising Inequality, Consider the Janitors at Two Top Companies, Then and Now," 3 Sep. 2017
Meanwhile, investors should expect the data-center business to be lumpy, given that capital spending patterns by large cloud players tend to fluctuate quarter by quarter.

— dan gallagher, WSJ, "Nvidia’s Cloud Still Has a Big Silver Lining," 11 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lumpy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lumpy

circa 1706

lumpy Synonyms

Synonyms

clumpy, curdy, chunky, nubbly, nubby

Antonyms

smooth

Related Words

ropy (also ropey), thick, viscous; knobbed, knobbly, knobby, lumpish; clabbered, clotted, coagulated, congealed, curdled, gelled, thickened; broken, bumpy, coarse, irregular, jagged, knotted, knotty, pebbly

Near Antonyms

exact, uniform; aligned (also alined), regular, true; horizontal, tabular; plumb, straight, vertical; flush

LUMPY Defined for English Language Learners

lumpy

adjective

Definition of lumpy for English Language Learners

: having lumps : full of lumps

LUMPY Defined for Kids

lumpy

adjective \ ˈləm-pē \

Definition of lumpy for Students

lumpier; lumpiest

: having or full of lumps

a lumpy mattress

Learn More about lumpy

See words that rhyme with lumpy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lumpy Spanish Central: Translation of lumpy Nglish: Translation of lumpy for Spanish speakers

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lumpy

Definition of lumpy

lumpily

lumpiness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of lumpy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of lumpy from the Web

First Known Use of lumpy

lumpy Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

LUMPY Defined for English Language Learners

lumpy

Definition of lumpy for English Language Learners

LUMPY Defined for Kids

lumpy

Definition of lumpy for Students

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