English Reference
Idiom idiom

bump into


To meet by chance.

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


SIMPLE

I often bump into my neighbors at the grocery store.

CONTEXTUAL

I was surprised to bump into an old college friend while I was walking through the city center yesterday.

COMPLEX

It felt like a strange twist of fate to bump into my former mentor in such a remote corner of the world after so many years of silence.


Related idioms5entries
  1. 01

    bump and grind

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

  2. 02

    bump in the road

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

  3. 03

    bump off

    To kill, especially to murder.

  4. 04

    bump up

    To increase something suddenly.

  5. 05

    royal bumps

    A ritual of two or more persons holding another person by the arms and legs, face up, while bumping them repeatedly on the floor. In modern times it is a lighthearted affair, generally performed only on a young person's birthday with the number of bumps corresponding to the person's age in years. Historically it was a hazing.

Last updated August 10, 2026