What does "crump" mean?
The sound of a muffled explosion.
Crump
/kɹʌmp/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The sound of a muffled explosion.
- Grammar: crump is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bang, belch, blare, blat.
- Useful contrasts: dampen, murmur, quiet.
- Usage evidence: And there was another bit [of a hymn]: ‘To an inheritance incorruptible. … Through faith unto salvation, Ready to be revealèd at the last trump.’ For ‘trump’ we always used to sing ‘crump.’ ‘The last crump’ was the end of the war and would we ever hear it burst safely behind us?
How to use "crump"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "crump" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "crump" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "crump" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "crump" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "crump" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bang" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "crump", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The sound of a muffled explosion.
"And there was another bit [of a hymn]: ‘To an inheritance incorruptible. … Through faith unto salvation, Ready to be revealèd at the last trump.’ For ‘trump’ we always used to sing ‘crump.’ ‘The last crump’ was the end of the war and would we ever hear it burst safely behind us?"
Verb
- 1 To produce such a sound. intransitive
"“Mortars crumped, and from the high ground to the east and south came the shriek of 88-millimeter shells, green fireballs that whizzed through the dunes at half a mile a second, trailing golden plumes of dust.”"
- 2 To decline rapidly in health (but not as rapidly as crash). US, intransitive
"I can only be in one place at a time, so sometimes I just have to say, “Listen, I’ve got this other patient that’s crumping down the hall.[”]"
- 3 explode heavily or with a loud dull noise wordnet
- 4 bombard with heavy shells wordnet
- 5 make a noise typical of an engine lacking lubricants wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Hard or crusty; dry baked Scotland, UK, dialectal
"a crump loaf"
- 2 Crooked; bent. obsolete
"Crooked backs and crump shoulders."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Middle English. See Crump for history and meaning! countable, uncountable
- 2 A placename; An unincorporated community in Garfield Township, Bay County, Michigan, United States. countable, uncountable
- 3 A placename; An unincorporated community in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States. countable, uncountable
- 4 A placename; A city in Hardin County, Tennessee, United States. countable, uncountable
Example
"And there was another bit [of a hymn]: ‘To an inheritance incorruptible. … Through faith unto salvation, Ready to be revealèd at the last trump.’ For ‘trump’ we always used to sing ‘crump.’ ‘The last crump’ was the end of the war and would we ever hear it burst safely behind us?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "crump"?
Common synonyms include: bang, belch, blare, blat, bray, brittle.
How do you use "crump" in a sentence?
And there was another bit [of a hymn]: ‘To an inheritance incorruptible. … Through faith unto salvation, Ready to be revealèd at the last trump.’ For ‘trump’ we always used to sing ‘crump.’ ‘The last crump’ was the end of the war and would we ever hear it burst safely behind us?
How do you pronounce "crump"?
Pronounced /kɹʌmp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Onomatopoeic.
Etymology 2
See crumb.
Etymology 3
From Middle English crump, cromp, croume, from Old English crump, crumb (“stooping, bent, crooked”), from Proto-West Germanic *krump, from Proto-Germanic *krumpaz, *krumbaz (“bent”). Compare Dutch krom (“bent”), German krumm (“crooked”), Danish krum. Related to cramp.
Etymology 4
* As an English surname, from the adjective crump (“crooked”). Compare Croom. * As a German and Dutch surname, Americanized from Krump (see Krumm and Ruhm) and Kramp.