ENGLISH
REFERENCE

trump

v. · n.
US //ˈtɹəmp// UK //tɹˈʌmp// trump
  1. 1 to be better than (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to be more important, powerful, or successful than something else.

    to surpass, outrank, or prove more decisive than a competing factor.

    Example

    In the end, safety concerns trumped the desire to finish the project quickly.

    Example

    The environmental benefits of the new policy eventually trumped the initial economic concerns raised by the local manufacturing sector.
  2. 2 card games (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    in a card game, a suit or card that is higher and stronger than all the others.

    a playing card of the suit chosen to rank above all others in a particular game.

    Example

    He won the final round because he still had one high trump left in his hand.

    Example

    The player strategically held back his last trump, waiting for the opponent to lead with an Ace before seizing the trick.
  3. 3 a hidden advantage (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    something helpful that you keep secret until you need it to win.

    a valuable resource or piece of information held in reserve to gain an advantage.

    Example

    The lawyer kept the new evidence as a trump card for the end of the trial.

    Example

    The CEO played his final trump during the negotiations, revealing a patent that the rival company desperately needed.
  4. 4 a fart (n.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Informal

    a word for gas that comes out of your bottom.

    an instance of flatulence. This sense is specific to British English and is generally considered childish or mild.

    Example

    The little boy let out a loud trump and then started laughing.

    Example

    The schoolboy's accidental trump during the quiet assembly caused a ripple of suppressed giggles among his classmates.
  5. 5 to fart (v.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Informal

    to release gas from your bottom.

    to expel intestinal gas through the anus. Intransitive use.

    Example

    The dog trumped loudly while sleeping on the rug.

    Example

    He tried to pretend he hadn't trumped, but the sudden smell in the lift made it obvious to everyone else.
Etymology 1

Possibly from French triomphe (“triumph”) or Old French triumphe. If so, it is a doublet of triumph and thriambus. Compare German Trumpf.

Etymology 2

From Middle English trumpe, trompe (“trumpet”), from Old French trompe (“horn, trump, trumpet”), from Frankish *trumpa (“trumpet”), from a common Germanic word of imitative origin. Doublet of tulumba and tromp. Akin to Old High German trumpa, trumba (“horn, trumpet”), Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”), Middle Low German trumme (“drum”). More at trumpet, drum.

Etymology 3

Ellipsis of Jew's-trump, which may be from French jeu-trompe (literally “toy trumpet”).

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

Idioms3 entries

Last updated June 19, 2026