Bumping

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbʌmpɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of hitting or knocking against an object with force ; the process of being promoted or moved up within a hierarchy or ranking
2. Coming into contact with something by accident or collision ; advancing to a superior level or status
3. Making a sudden impact on a surface or object ; achieving elevation to a higher grade or position

Etymology: "Bumping" is the present participle of "bump," and the verb's history runs straight through sound. "Bump" appeared in Early Modern English to mean a shock or blow from a collision, and it is onomatopoeic: the word imitates the dull thud of two solid things knocking together. Its closest relatives are sound words as well, such as Middle English "bumben," meaning to make a hollow noise, and Dutch "bommen," to hum or buzz. The word probably came into English from North Germanic sources, where Danish had "bumpe," to thump or strike with a clenched fist. That origin fits the physical sense: the earliest meaning was the impact itself, not the act of moving forward. The figurative sense of rising in rank, as in being "bumped up" to a higher class on a flight, grew from the idea of being jolted or pushed into a new position. Both meanings keep the original jolt, so a person who is bumped is still knocked from one place into another.

Synonyms: colliding, thumping