Stump — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈstəmp/

Meaning & Definition of Stump

Stump (noun)

  1. the basal portion of a bodily part remaining after the rest is removed
  2. a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part
  3. the part of a plant and especially a tree remaining attached to the root after the trunk is cut
  4. a short thick roll of leather, felt, or paper usually pointed at both ends and used for shading or blending a drawing in crayon, pencil, charcoal, pastel, or chalk

Stump (verb)

  1. to reduce to a stump, trim
  2. dare, challenge
  3. to frustrate the progress or efforts of, baffle
  4. to tone or treat (a drawing) with a stump

Stump (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move heavily or clumsily

    "the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses"

    similar: barge, clump, flog (British), flounder, galumph, lumber, lump, plod, pound, scuff, scuffle, shamble, shuffle, slog, slough, stamp, stomp, stumble, tramp, tromp, trudge
    related: drag, flop, haul, blunder, careen, dodder, lurch, reel, stagger, sway, teeter, totter, waddle, weave, wobble
    opposite: breeze, coast, glide, slide, waltz, whisk
    near: drift, float, hang, hover, poise, waft

  2. to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat

    "when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole"

    similar: challenge, dare, defy
    related: beard, brave, brazen, breast, confront, face, outbrave, outface

Stump (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in remains, residue

    similar: leavings, odds and ends, pickings, refuse, remains, residual, residue, scraping(s), vestige, end, fag end, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap, stub, balance, rest, chip, flake, fragment, piece, sliver, splinter, ribbon(s), shred, tatter
    opposite: whole

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stump

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stump:

British: flog
barge, clump, flounder, galumph, lumber, lump, plod, pound, scuff, scuffle, shamble, shuffle, slog, slough, stamp, stomp, stumble, tramp, tromp, trudge, challenge, dare, defy, leavings, odds and ends, pickings, refuse, remains, residual, residue, scraping(s), vestige, end, fag end, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap, stub

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Stump

Words with the opposite meaning of Stump:

breeze, coast, glide, slide, waltz, whisk, whole

Related Words for Stump

drag, flop, haul, blunder, careen, dodder, lurch, reel, stagger, sway, teeter, totter, waddle, weave, wobble, beard, brave, brazen, breast, confront, face, outbrave, outface

Near Antonyms of Stump

drift, float, hang, hover, poise, waft

Word Forms of Stump

Inflections: stumped, stumping, stumps

Derived words: stumper (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Stump

Middle English stumpe; akin to Old High German stumpf stump and perhaps to Middle English stampen to stamp

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Stump

stump-tailed macaque, stump work, stump speech, stump up, on the stump

Frequently Asked Questions about Stump

What does "Stump" mean?

"Stump" means the basal portion of a bodily part remaining after the rest is removed. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the basal portion of a bodily part remaining after the rest is removed. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stump"?

Other words for "Stump" include barge, clump, flog, flounder, galumph, lumber, lump and plod. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stump" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stump"?

There are 75 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stump". Common alternatives include barge, clump, flog, flounder, galumph, lumber, lump, plod, pound and scuff.

What is the opposite of "Stump"?

Antonyms of "Stump" include breeze, coast, glide, slide, waltz, whisk and whole. Near antonyms include drift, float, hang and hover.

How do you use "Stump" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stump" in a sentence: "the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses"; "when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole".

Is "Stump" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Stump" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Stump"?

"Stump" is pronounced /ˈstəmp/.

What is the origin of the word "Stump"?

"Stump" comes from Middle English stumpe; akin to Old High German stumpf stump and perhaps to Middle English stampen to stamp. First known use: 14th century.