Phrase guide

speed bump

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A traffic calming measure, consisting of a transverse ridge in the road, to limit the speed of vehicles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An obstacle or difficulty; roadblock; snag.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any technical measure taken by an electronic financial exchange to deliberately delay orders by microseconds or milliseconds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: high-frequency trading

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a hindrance to speeding created by a crosswise ridge in the surface of a roadway

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hindrance, hinderance, hitch, preventive, preventative, encumbrance, incumbrance, interference

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

83 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَطَبّ السُّرْعَة (maṭabb as-surʕa) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Arabic: مَطَب (maṭabb) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Belarusian: ляжачы паліцэйскі (ljažačy palicejski) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Bulgarian: каламбъч (kalambǎč) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Catalan: ressalt — transverse ridge in the road
  • Catalan: cavalló — transverse ridge in the road
  • Chinese Mandarin: 減速帶 /减速带 (jiǎnsùdài) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Czech: zpomalovací práh — transverse ridge in the road
  • Czech: příčný práh — transverse ridge in the road
  • Czech: retardér — transverse ridge in the road
  • Danish: vejbump — transverse ridge in the road
  • Danish: fartbump — transverse ridge in the road
  • Dutch: verkeersdrempel — transverse ridge in the road
  • Esperanto: stratĝibo — transverse ridge in the road
  • Estonian: lamav politseinik — transverse ridge in the road
  • Faroese: bunga á vegi — transverse ridge in the road
  • Finnish: hidastetöyssy — transverse ridge in the road
  • French: ralentisseur — transverse ridge in the road
  • French: casse-vitesse — transverse ridge in the road
  • French: dos d'âne — transverse ridge in the road
  • German: Bodenschwelle — transverse ridge in the road
  • German: Bremsschwelle — transverse ridge in the road
  • German: Fahrbahnschwelle — transverse ridge in the road
  • German: Hubbel — transverse ridge in the road
  • German: Verkehrshubbel — transverse ridge in the road
  • Hebrew: פס האטה — transverse ridge in the road
  • Hungarian: fekvőrendőr — transverse ridge in the road
  • Icelandic: hraðahindrun — transverse ridge in the road
  • Indonesian: polisi tidur — transverse ridge in the road
  • Irish: uchtóg mhoillithe — transverse ridge in the road
  • Italian: dosso stradale — transverse ridge in the road
  • Japanese: ハンプ (hampu) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Japanese: スピードバンプ (supiido bampu) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Japanese: 段差舗装 (dansa hosō) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Javanese: polisi turu — transverse ridge in the road
  • Korean: 과속 방지턱 (gwasok bangjiteok) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Latvian: ātruma slāpētājs — transverse ridge in the road
  • Malay: bonggol — transverse ridge in the road
  • Mongolian: хурд сааруулагч (xurd saaruulagč) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Mongolian: хэвтээ цагдаа (xevtee cagdaa) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Norman: policemainne dormant — transverse ridge in the road
  • Pannonian Rusyn: лєжаци полицай (lježaci policaj) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Pannonian Rusyn: лєжаци полицаєц (lježaci policajec) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Persian: سرعتگیر (sor'at-gir) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Polish: próg zwalniający — transverse ridge in the road
  • Portuguese: banda sonora — transverse ridge in the road
  • Portuguese: lombada — transverse ridge in the road
  • Portuguese: quebra-molas — transverse ridge in the road
  • Russian: лежа́чий полице́йский (ležáčij policéjskij) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Serbo-Croatian: ležeći policajac — transverse ridge in the road
  • Slovak: spomaľovací prah — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: reductor de velocidad — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: resalto — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: badén — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: banda sonora — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: chapa acostado — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: durmiente — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: giba — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: guardia tumbado — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: lomada — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: lomo de burro — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: lomo de toro — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: muerto — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: muro — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: policía acostado — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: policía dormido — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: policía muerto — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: rompemuelles — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: tope — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: túmulo — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: vibrador — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: baden — transverse ridge in the road
  • Spanish: rompemuelle — transverse ridge in the road
  • Swedish: fartgupp — transverse ridge in the road
  • Swedish: farthinder — transverse ridge in the road
  • Tamil: வேகத் தடுப்பான் (vēkat taṭuppāṉ) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Turkish: hız kesici — transverse ridge in the road
  • Turkish: kasis — transverse ridge in the road
  • Turkish: tümsek — transverse ridge in the road
  • Ukrainian: лежачий поліцейський (ležačyj policejsʹkyj) — transverse ridge in the road
  • Vietnamese: gờ giảm tốc — transverse ridge in the road
  • Welsh: gwrym arafu — transverse ridge in the road
  • Welsh: poncyn arafu — transverse ridge in the road