English Reference
Idiom idiom

bump in the road


A setback or obstacle, especially one which is relatively minor.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

This small problem is just a bump in the road.

CONTEXTUAL

We had a minor delay with the project, but it was only a bump in the road.

COMPLEX

Although the team faced a significant bump in the road during the initial launch, they remained confident that their long-term goals were still well within reach.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all roads lead to Rome

    Different paths can take one to the same goal.

  2. 02

    bump and grind

    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

  3. 03

    bump into

    To meet by chance.

  4. 04

    bump off

    To kill, especially to murder.

  5. 05

    bump up

    To increase something suddenly.

  6. 06

    down the road, not across the street

    Of the technique for committing suicide, along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

  7. 07

    frog

    [Cockney slang]road

  8. 08

    get the show on the road

    To begin or launch; to get going.

Last updated August 10, 2026