Word
lumber
Phoneticslum·ber, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɫəmbɝ/
UK/lˈʌmbɐ/
Definitions
01to move heavily
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to move in a slow, heavy, and awkward way.
v. to move with a heavy, clumsy, or noisy gait. Intransitive — often used with a prepositional phrase of direction.
“The huge bear started to lumber toward the river to catch some fish.”
“The old freighter began to lumber out of the harbour, its engines groaning under the weight of the heavy cargo.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02to burden someone
C1 · Advanced British English · Informal
v. to give someone a job or a responsibility they do not want.
v. to burden or encumber someone with an unwanted task or responsibility. Transitive — frequently used in the passive voice with 'with'.
“I got lumbered with all the cleaning after the party finished.”
“The junior consultant was lumbered with the tedious task of cross-referencing three years of financial spreadsheets over the weekend.”
Usage
Usually takes the preposition 'with'.
03wood for building
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun American English
n. wood that has been cut into boards or planks for building things.
n. timber sawed or split into planks, boards, or other structural forms. Uncountable in this sense.
“We bought some lumber from the local store to build a new fence.”
“The construction crew stacked the lumber neatly on the site, ensuring the cedar planks were protected from the rising damp.”
Teaching tip
In British English, 'timber' is the standard term for this material; 'lumber' is specifically North American.
04old junk
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary · Archaic
n. old furniture or things that are stored away and take up too much space.
n. disused or cumbersome articles, such as old furniture, that occupy space without being useful.
“The attic was filled with the lumber of several generations.”
“He spent the afternoon clearing the dusty lumber from the basement, unearthing broken chairs and rusted tools from the previous century.”
Real-World Examples
“Now that talks have broken down, Canada has been hit with new 50% US tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, in addition to existing US tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber.” “The two countries have wrangled for decades over trade, poking each other over sore spots like Canadian softwood lumber imports and US access to Canada’s protected dairy market.” Etymology
Exact origin unknown. The earliest recorded reference for the noun was to heavy, useless objects such as old, discarded furniture. Perhaps from the verb lumber in reference to meaning "awkward to move"; Online Etymological Dictionary thinks this may derive from the same root as lame. Possibly influenced by Lumbar, an obsolete variant of Lombard, the Italian immigrant class known for being pawnbrokers and money-lenders in early England. Compare English lumpish.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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