dump
B2Neutral to informal
Definition
Meaning
To drop or deposit something heavily or carelessly.
To discard, abandon, or get rid of something unceremoniously; a place where waste is deposited; a state of depression or a poorly maintained place.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, it can refer to a physical waste site, a dilapidated place, or a state of feeling low. As a verb, it implies a lack of care or ceremony in discarding or depositing. In computing, it means to copy data from memory to storage or output.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use 'dump' similarly for waste disposal and discarding. In computing contexts, both use 'dump' as a verb/noun (e.g., core dump).
Connotations
Similar negative connotations for places and actions. Slightly more common in American English for ending relationships informally ('He dumped her').
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both varieties. The noun for a waste site is standard. The verb in relationship contexts is very common in informal speech globally.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
dump something (somewhere)dump something on somebodydump somebody for somebodyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “down in the dumps (feeling depressed)”
- “dump on someone (criticize unfairly)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To sell goods in large quantities at very low prices, often in another country (e.g., 'dumping cheap steel').
Academic
Used in computing science (e.g., 'memory dump') and environmental studies (e.g., 'toxic waste dump').
Everyday
Common for discarding rubbish, ending relationships, or describing untidy places.
Technical
In computing: copying raw data from memory to a file for analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The old fridge ended up at the local dump.
- His flat was a complete dump before he cleaned it.
- After the failure, he was in a bit of a dump.
American English
- Take this load to the city dump.
- That motel was a real dump.
- The server created a crash dump for analysis.
verb
British English
- Please don't dump your rubbish in the park.
- She felt awful after he dumped her by text.
- The system will dump the log files at midnight.
American English
- They dump their old furniture on the curb.
- He dumped his stock before the market crashed.
- The program dumped an error report to the desktop.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We take our trash to the dump.
- Don't dump your bag on the floor.
- The company dumped toxic waste into the river.
- He was down in the dumps after losing his job.
- Several countries accused them of dumping cheap goods on the market.
- After the argument, she dumped all his clothes on the lawn.
- The investigative report dumped a load of controversy on the minister's desk.
- A full memory dump is required to diagnose the kernel panic.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a large DUMP truck dropping a heavy load with a loud 'DUMP' sound.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL STATES ARE CONTAINERS ('down in the dumps'), ENDING RELATIONSHIPS IS DISCARDING WASTE ('dumped him').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'дампа' (data dump) in computing – same term is used. 'Dump' as a place is 'свалка', not 'помойка' (more specific). The verb 'to dump someone' is 'бросить' in relationships, not 'сбрасывать'. 'Down in the dumps' is an idiom meaning 'в подавленном настроении', not a literal place.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'dump' for careful placement ('He dumped the vase on the table' implies carelessness). Overusing in formal writing where 'discard' or 'dispose of' is better.
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'dump' NOT typically imply carelessness or negativity?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is generally neutral to informal. In formal writing, alternatives like 'dispose of', 'discard', or 'deposit' are often preferred.
'Dump' often implies a larger quantity or less care, and can involve a literal place (the dump). 'Throw away' is more general for discarding any single item.
Rarely. Its core semantics involve careless abandonment. Even in computing, a 'dump' is usually a response to a problem, though it's a neutral technical term.
It refers to selling goods in a foreign market at a price lower than in the home market, or below cost, often to gain market share or offload surplus.