Slump Meaning
/slʌmp/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo collapse heavily or helplessly.
verbTo decline or fall off in activity or performance.
Sentence Examples
The stock market is in a prolonged slump.
The company is caught up in a serious business slump.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The recent economic ____ caused many companies to lose money and lay off workers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A sudden ____ in stock prices caused concern among investors looking for long-term growth.
Word Origin & History
Probably of North Germanic origin: compare Danish slumpe (“to stumble upon by chance”), Norwegian slumpe (“happen by chance”), Norwegian slumpa (“happen by chance”), Swedish slumpa (“randomize; to sell off”), Swedish slump (“chance, randomness, happenstance”). Compare also German schlumpen (“to trail; draggle; be sloppy”), dialectal Dutch slompen (“to walk clumsily”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.[…]”"
— 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
"The Gunners captain demonstrated his importance to the team by taking his tally to an outstanding 28 goals in 27 Premier League games as Chelsea slumped again after their shock defeat at QPR last week."
— 2011 October 29, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal”, in BBC Sport:
"But in the week ending December 6, usage slumped from 72% of pre-pandemic numbers to just 56%, following revised advice that we should work from home again."
— 2021 December 29, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Problems galore in 2021...”, in RAIL, number 947, page 3:
"These different groups[…]are exclusively slumped together under that sense."
— a. 1857, William Hamilton, edited by H[enry] L[ongueville] Mansel and John Veitch, Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1859–1860, →OCLC:
"The latter walk on a bottomless quag, into which unawares they may slump."
— a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number)”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The recent economic ____ caused many companies to lose money and lay off workers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A sudden ____ in stock prices caused concern among investors looking for long-term growth.